Sprinters Srabani Nanda and Dutee Chand receiving postings in PSUs file photo
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 13: The state government has plans up its sleeve to bring in changes in selection process for sportspersons to Group B services and posts in government organisations.
The state government has launched a scheme recently under GA department for appointment of eminent sportspersons in Group B posts and government services and PSUs. It has also promulgated a separate rule under Home department for appointment of Group B and C posts in state police.
According to sports department secretary Saswat Mishra, a ‘discrepancy’ exists in the eligibility criteria for appointment to Group B posts in GA department and in home department, which may create legal hurdles in future.
Both the departments have set one selection criteria for consideration under sports quota – participation in Oympic games or its quivalent. In the second selection criteria, the home department has set “silver or bronze medal winner in Asian games or Commonwealth games or its equivalent” and the GA department insists on “national sports record in athletics or track and field category recognised as an Olympic games event”.
Mishra, in a letter to GA department special secretary Ashok Kumar Meena, Monday said, “The eligibility criteria for appointment to Group B service is not uniform in the two provisions (Home & GA department).”
The sports secretary has stated that the “The GA department resolution – ‘‘Holding a national sports record in athletics or track and field category recognized as Olympic games event” – does not reflect the intention of the resolution correctly and is, therefore, prone to different interpretations.”
Stating this discrepancy will create legal complicacies in the process of appointment of sportspersons, Mishra urged the GA department to “reexamine the eligibility criteria of GA department resolution and amend it suitably so that uniformity is maintained” in both the departments’ rules and provisions for selection of meritorious sportspersons to government and PSUs as well as state police.
Ace Orissa sprinters Srabani Nanda and Dutee Chand have been appointed in PSUs such as OHPC and OMC, while 60 other meritorious sportspersons have been appointed in Orissa police in the rank of DSP, SI of police, constables and sepoys as per the existing selection criteria.
