BHUBANESWAR: Use and pay. This seems to be the new formula of Sports Authority of India (SAI) for Odisha. The SAI has asked international and national rowers from the State to pay a monthly fee to use its Water Sports Centre at Jagatpur.That is not all. It also slapped a bill of `45,990 on Orissa Association for Rowing and Sculling (OARS) for holding the 38th Junior National Rowing Championship at the Complex earlier last week.What was OARS charged for? Infrastructure was one, which indirectly meant using Mahanadi river for the national rowing event. The association was asked to pay `6,000 towards infrastructure use for six days spanning from November 16 to 18 when 500 junior rowers from 22 States participated and Odisha went on to be the team champion.
The association has hosted at least six national championships since 1998 and this is the first time it was handed out a bill which included charges for cleaning, equipment, electricity and a security deposit.
The association says it used generators for the opening and closing ceremonies but was asked to pay electricity charges. Private sweepers and Cuttack Municipal Corporation cleaned the complex, yet a cleaning fee was levied. There was also a GST levy of `5,490 at the rate of 18 per cent which was included in the bill.
Problems started when the SAI Centre put up a notice which stated that rowers, who are not SAI Hostel inmates, must pay `1,250 on a monthly basis. If paid in advance for three months, the rowers can avail a discount. Many have already paid so that they can train. Some of them, who are constables with Odisha Police on contractual basis, earn a paltry `8,000-odd as monthly salary.
It was the State Government which had given land for free for the sports complex and building was constructed by OARS. In fact, SAI’s contribution was provisioning indoor rowing equipment and a coach.
The State association, needless to say, is outraged at the developments. “SAI’s Eastern Zone authorities believe they own Mahandi river too and want the body to be paid if the complex is used even for training by players who have brought laurels in international competition. This is unheard of,” says president of OARS Binod Dash.
Dronacharya Awardee Jose Jacob, who was the coach at the Water Sports Centre before he was posted to Kerala finds it absurd. “In Kerala, the rowers never pay any user fee,” said Jacob who was also present during the rowing championship.Dash said he has already decided to take up the matter with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan so that SAI top brass can be made aware of this.Earlier, the SAI Water Sports Centre had run into controversy for barring four international women rowers of the State from using the complex. It was resolved after this paper took up the issue.