Revealing the internal fissures within the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC), Assistant Secretary (Technical) Olympian Bobby Aloysius has given notice to the standing committee expressing her ‘non-willingness to continue the deputation’.
Bobby, a superintendent with Chennai Customs, who has been on deputation to the KSSC for the past two years , wants to return to her previous employer.
The standing committee meeting to be held next week will decide on the contents of her letter dated July 8. “I can’t get along with many things at the KSSC. I feel my involvement in its functioning is very limited. I don’t want to waste my time and energy by holding a position that does not allow me to do anything. So I am ending my stint,” she told ‘Express’. Bobby felt she was sidelined by KSSC honchos though the former Sports Minister and Government Secretary had given her enough support.
“Even though there were two government orders regarding my appointment at the National Games Secretariat, the KSSC held back the order and denied me an opportunity,” Bobby said.
Lashing out at the functioning of the state’s sporting arm, Bobby said: “I realised that there is no opportunity for people with talent or expertise and all decisions are based on political and other considerations. I am sorry to say that I am least interested in politicking. My ultimate aim is to serve the state, but, unfortunately, the state doesn’t want it”.
However, KSSC president Padmini Selvan ruled out her resignation. “She can’t resign from the post as she has to complete the three-year deputation as per the bond she committed with the state government which provided Rs 15 lakh for her training in the UK,” said Padmini, the first athlete to occupy the post.
But she acknowledged that there is a letter from Bobby for the decision of the standing committee. Padmini said the government had just requested Bobby’s services for three months. “We expressed our helplessness in sparing such an efficient hand like Bobby who is handling many key projects. Moreover, she has not made any complaints to me in person,” Padmini said.