CUTTACK: Hockey Odisha has drawn the attention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to State Sports and Youth Affairs department’s alleged bid to form a parallel hockey association in Odisha.
In a memorandum sent to the Chief Minister on Wednesday, Hockey Odisha general secretary Pratap Satpathy cited a letter dated July 22 issued by the department’s Principal Secretary to all collectors on formation of district hockey associations. As Hockey Odisha has its own affiliated district associations, the Sports and Youth Affairs department’s directive for formation of district associations is an attempt to break the existing district units, Satpathy alleged.
The letter issued to the collectors said an adhoc committee has been formed to manage the affairs of hockey in Odisha. The committee is taking initiative to form associations in all the 30 districts of the State. The letter expected the collectors to form district hockey associations immediately.
Satpathy further alleged that by taking initiative to form district associations, the Sports department is forcibly trying to encroach upon the autonomy of a democratically elected body. He said the Principal Secretary by issuing the letter to the collectors violated the stay order of the High Court issued on July 7 this year on operation of the adhoc committee. In the July 22 letter, the Principal Secretary had spelled out the collectors will be ex-officio presidents of hockey associations in their respective districts while a senior officer nominated by the collector will be the ex-officio secretary and district sports officer the treasurer.