Jammu, Dec 20 (UNI) Reiterating concern over rising drug abuse cases, Team Jammu has alleged that shortage of qualified coaches and sports infrastructure is leading to rise in the menace across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Youth has a key role to play in nation building and any region or state with healthy youth makes it developed but unfortunately, in the recent past, rise in number of drug abuse cases in Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of concern,” Team Jammu Chairman, Zorawar Singh Jamwal here said while addressing a press conference.
Mr Jamwal said that almost all the states are focusing on youth by engaging them through skill development, entrepreneurship, capacity building programmes and sports, adding, “but, it is very astonishing that Jammu and Kashmir is lacking behind in taking these initiatives for our youth especially in the field of sports, which is one of the major sources of developing an overall personality of youth.”
He said that sports in this region was never given the priority and the budding talent, especially those who want to pursue sports as a career, have no options to groom.
As per reports, presently there are nearly 53 sports associations, which are affiliated/recognized by the J&K Sports Council but against them, there are around 55 coaches in different disciplines, serving across the Union Territory.
“If we have 53 recognized bodies, then it is understood that each game/sport should have at least one coach, which means, 53 coaches are needed in every district thus making a total of approximately 1100 coaches but surprisingly, a strength of 53 qualified coaches are engaged in the entire Jammu and Kashmir,” said Mr Jamwal adding that so many NIS qualified coaches are unemployed and running pillar to post for job in the department.
“During previous successive regimes, jobs were created and interviews were called but later cancelled. Although interviews were again re-called but qualified aspirants are still waiting for the call from the concerned department,” he said adding that the popular governments engaged some of their closed relatives through alleged backdoor appointments.
“Moreover, last month a duty roaster was also issued by the J&K Sports Council for the coaches of Jammu Division asking them to stay for a period of one-month at different newly constructed indoor stadiums by arranging accommodation on their own in this COVID pandemic,” said the Team Jammu Chairman.
He added that as per reports, most of these indoor complexes are either incomplete or have no basic facilities and the roster is issued only to “fool” the administration showing them functional in papers.
“Why the roster was not issued for the Kashmir based coaches have raised many eyebrows over discriminatory attitude,” he said adding that Duty Roster only for Jammu based coaches/instructors in this pandemic and skipping Kashmir, smells some foul-play.”
“There are also reports of alleged corruptions in 2016-17 ‘Khelo India’ reportedly being probed by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Kashmir, various embezzlement in distributing funds to sports associations, malpractices, bungling in official record, tampering in seniority ladder and record of coaches, purchase of sub-standard sports equipment and various other complaints being raised time to time but action is still waited,” he said.
The Chairman also demanded a promotion policy besides the pension scheme for the employees of J&K State Sports Council.
“Sports need cleansing to develop a healthy state and it is not impossible under the leadership of LG Manoj Sinha, who has already made it clear that there will be no space for corrupt and corruption in his rule,” he said.
Mr Jamwal has appealed to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the President of the J&K Sports Council to intervene and hold time bound inquiry into the functioning of the twin departments (J&K Sports Council/Department of Youth Services and Sports) and make the report public.
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