HC upholds sports body`s decision to remove its treasurer

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has upheld the National Rifles Association of India`s (NRAI) decision to remove its treasurer, an Uttar Pradesh government official, for continuing on the post beyond four years without the mandatory permission.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw upheld the NRAI`s decision, dismissing sports body Treasurer Shyam Singh`s plea against his removal after his re-election in 2009. He had come to the court in an appeal against its single-judge bench`s order, upholding the NRAI`s governing body`s decision to remove him from the post in March 2011. The bench accepted the sports body`s argument that the decision against Yadav was taken after a circular issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on February 4, 2010, stipulated prior governmental sanction for contesting / canvassing in election to sports bodies. It also accepted the NRAI`s submission that as per the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) rule, no government servant should be allowed to hold an elective office in any sports association/federation for a term of more than four years or for one term, whichever is less. "The aforesaid circular (February 2010) points out the need of curbing the tendency on the part of the government servants to seek elective office in sports federation or association at the national of state level as it may have tendency to adversely affect their functioning as government servant. For this reason, even the tenure is restricted. This has a laudable objective behind it," the bench said. "A government servant is supposed to discharge his official duties with all commitment and devotion. For this reason his association with sports federations/associations has to be minimal. That is what the aforesaid DOPT OM seeks to achieve if one goes behind the spirit of these OMs," the bench also said. PTI