Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports said that the revised draft National Sports Development Bill, 2011 is an effort to streamline the Bill while retaining transparency, good governance and de-control from government intervention.Maken made it clear that the Bill attempts to rejig the image of his ministry as it is widely believed that it was directly interfering in sports.
The Bill is sent to Indian Olympic Association and all recognised national sports federations seeking their feedback within two weeks, the minister said. Unlike the previous version, this Bill eliminates the power of the government to recognise National Olympic Committee and National Sports Federation. In case of any flouting of law, the government can refer the matter to the Independent Appellate Sports Tribunal.
There will be no duplicity of work as the Bill proposes to continue with the registration until it is suspended or cancelled by the Appellate Sports Tribunal, Maken said. From now on, all penalties that are levied by the Appellate Sports Tribunal would vest with the National Sports Development Fund Scheme for retaining sports fund, as per the proposed Bill.
The Sports Ombudsman and the National Sports Development Council stand removed in the new draft. Earlier in August this year, the National Sports Bill saw stiff resistance in the cabinet. Maken, who saw the development as a setback said he would try and complete the fine tuning work of the bill as quickly as possible.
“We are waiting for the minutes of the cabinet meeting. Once we get that, we will start reworking the National Sports Development Bill and place it before the cabinet again,” Maken said in August this year. “We will consult the ministers to know their specific objections and address those as much as possible in the bill. Hopefully we will be able to get the cabinet’s clearance next time around,” he said. Maken during that time did not give a time frame on when he would complete the fine tuning work.
