State government has failed to pay incentives to sportspersons since 2012
DIMAPUR, MAY 21 : The state’s department of Youth Resources and Sports (YRS) has come under severe criticism for its failure to pay cash incentives to sportspersons who have represented Nagaland at national and international platforms, since 2012.
On Friday last, a parent of one of the players, Aren Longkumer, send a statement to the local newspapers explaining the scenario. “The sorry state of affairs cannot be pointed out more emphatically in that as of the present, there is a good number of Naga sportspersons from a plethora of sport disciplines, who have yet to receive cash incentives for their participation at national and international levels despite having been promised.”
“Nagaland Sports Policy itself provides for such incentives so as to adequately encourage the sportspersons and in turn foster state representation in more disciplines at various levels of competition,” the statement read. On Saturday, he told Eastern Mirror that one of his sons had represented the state at national events.
His reasoning was that aside from the recognition the sportspersons receive for their achievement in their respective fields, the cash incentives prove to be an all-important boost for the morale and a boon towards furthering their careers and bringing more laurels to the state.
This however, he said, has not been the case in Nagaland. “Standing testament to this is that in 2012, the cash incentives were scrapped altogether with the government citing the non-disbursal of fund as a reason. The vagueness and opacity of such a justification has only done the disservice of salting the wounds of the sportspersons.”
Even in the case of the period between 2013-16, the department concerned was supposed to disburse the incentives by the month of April. Till date, the sportspersons – in the disciplines of archery, boxing, taekwon-do, wushu, football and sepak-takraw – are yet to receive their due incentives.
Under such circumstances, he said, one cannot begin to comprehend the deep-seated discouragement and low morale that takes root amongst these sportspersons in light of all these issues.
“While looking outward at other states where sportspersons are treated with a modicum of dignity and support as is warranted to them, we only hope that the concerned authorities and powers-that-be in our state will at least give in to the slightest iota of introspection and take steps to provide every sportsperson what is due her or him, nothing less or more,” the parent hoped.
On Saturday, Eastern Mirror sought information and clarification from the department of Youth Resources & Sports, Nagaland. According to the director of YRS, Asangla Imti, the “problem” would have been solved if the parent had visited and enquired from the department’s office.
She informed that the department has set up a committee to organize an award ceremony for the deserving sportspersons. This will take place very soon, the director said.
She explained that the funds for this purpose have just arrived and that it would be ready for distribution after the final sitting of the committee next week. She however, could not specify the date/month on which the awards/incentives would be given.
This year’s CAG report on awards/incentives released by YRS
Out of 482 eminent sportspersons (medal winners) selected for recognition with awards and incentives during 2011-12, 36 were paid less with the difference amounting to Rs.4,79,000 while 49 were not at all paid with the total amount to be awarded adding up to Rs.6,31,000 and 19 were paid in excess to a total amount of Rs.1,90,000. In 34 cases, the report said cash award was paid to players outside the approved list, which amounts to Rs.8,81,000 according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report 2014-15.
In the subsequent year, the CAG report revealed that the state government approved Rs.70 lakh for awards and incentives to meritorious sports persons during 2012-13, for which, the DYRS approved a list of 110 sportspersons for cash award of Rs.18 lakh. The department apparently reported the expenditure of Rs.70 lakhs, however, the report said there was no record available to substantiate the payment of awards and incentives of Rs.18 lakh to the 110 sportspersons and utilization of remaining Rs.52 lakh.