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Infighting in IOA over decision-making

Last updated on: May 28, 2020 11:30 IST

Don't run IOA office as one-man show, IOA secretary Rajeev Mehta tells chief Narinder Batra in a stinging letter.

The Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra (left) and IOA general secretary Rajeev Mehta

IMAGE: The Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra (left) and Indian Olympic Association general secretary Rajeev Mehta. Photograph: Rafael Marchante/Reuters and Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary General Rajeev Mehta criticised President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra for running the national Olympic body "as a one-man show".

In his letter to IOA president, Mehta expressed his dissent over the negligence of his office in constituting various committees of the IOA.

"The IOA AGM dated 14.12.2017 had authorised the President and the Secretary-General, IOA to appoint/ nominate Chairman/ Convenor/ Members in the commission and committees of the IOA. I have not given my consent for the formation of any new/change in committees in IOA. The Committee/Commissions after being proposed by the President and the Secretary, IOA has to be ratified by the Executive Committee, IOA as done earlier," Mehta wrote.

Last week, IOA reconstituted its Legal Committee and Youth Commission for the term 2020-21. The Legal Committee comprising five members will manage the legal matters of the organisation in concurrence with IOA president.

IOA also appointed Prashant Kushwaha as the Chairman of its Olympic Education and Other Academic matters Committee for 2020-21.

The Committee comprising of seven members will manage and oversee the Olympic education-related activities and other academic matter of the organisation in concurrence with IOA president.

The secretary-general termed the appointment of theses Committees as "ex-facie illegal" and stated that president "have any power or authority to constitute any new committee without any approval of the Executive Committee".

"Your appointment of various members in the Legal Committee, Youth Committee, Olympic Education and Other Academic Matters Committee to name a few are ex-facie illegal and beyond your authority as given to you by the General House, IOA. There is no power of the President, IOA to remove any member from any commission/ committee and neither does the President, IOA has any power or authority to constitute any new committee without any approval of the Executive Committee, IOA," the letter stated.

"Any such letter issued by yourself is illegal and void-ab-initio as it holds no force under law. The existing Committees and Commissions made and ratified by the Executive Committee, IOA shall remain as functioning committees/ commissions of the IOA. In the interest of IOA and in good governance, kindly do not run the IOA office as a one-man show and follow the decisions of the IOA," it added.

On Tuesday, IOA president constituted a three-member committee to nominate observers for the elections of all IOA members for 2020-2021.

The committee led by vice president of IOA V D Nanavati includes BP Baishya and K Govindraj. The IOA also formed an 11 member Sponsorship, Marketing and Broadcast Committee for the year 2020-2021.

The Committee led by Sudhanshu Mittal will help IOA to generate revenue and become self-sustaining in all its operations and activities.

Also, a North East Committee for the term 2020-2021 to discuss the development of sports in North-East states of India was formed. Baishya has been named as the chairman of the North East committee.

Bholanath Singh, SM Bali, Bhupinder Bajwa, and Swapan Banerjee are the member of the committee. The IOA president Batra also requested senior Vice President R K Anand to take over all legal cases.

Source: ANI