Edu Dept hands over 3 grounds to Sports Dept

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

Almost nine months after closing cricket academies at three local government schools —Sector 19, 26, 40 —the UT Education Department has authorised their counterparts, UT Sports Department, to oversee allotment process for conducting championships here, till the time a policy gets framed. 

In an order issued on March 29, last year, the administration had closed these academies after receiving numerous complaints. Now in another order, shot recently on January 11, the registrar for Director School Education (DSE) has asked the sports department to supervise these grounds. 

‘A long term policy for the allotment of sport stadia/centres in the city is under process. As a stop gap arrangement, you (UT Sports Department) are authorised to allot play grounds in the three schools on a daily basis, on a par with the rent charged for Sector 16 Cricket Stadium’, says the order. 

The fresh order has fumed the private investors, who invested on these grounds and were holding their rights for over a past decade. In a previous statement, the Director Public Instruction (Schools) had cleared that the owners can take away their equipments installed, however they are demanding money invested for making pitches and other facilities. 

“I am ready to move from here but the administration should pay the money used on making pitches here. I have invested nearly Rs 10 lakh for making six pitches and other facilities. If not paid, I will uproot and take the entire pitch,” said Deepinder Singh, the man who invested in Sector 26 School. 

The office of the DSE said that they will see to the demand, if forwarded through a proper channel. 

“We will examine their request if submitted in writing through a proper channel. This is a government land, there is nothing to uproot or damage,” said spokesperson DSE office. 

Meanwhile a senior officer, close to the policy framing committee, said that the investors were running the grounds as per their whims. 

“They were given the land on lease, how can they expect to run academies for the entire life? Due to negligence of some officers, they enjoy here and did not pay a single penny to the administration. The administration organises only one tournament (inter-school) on these grounds and rest of time it’s either private players or the outside associations who play. Some of them claimed to give free coaching to the female or to the players who comes from a humble background. Then why are they so furious, if the department is planning to do the same under their authority. They should be thanking the administration for allowing them to run academies, on the basis of which they made a strong grip in the local cricket circle. If they have invested the money, they should be asking for it genuinely,” said the official.