RTI: Rs 1 cr given to unregistered athletics body

The RTI filed by Ganesh Moorthy, Treasurer, Tirunelveli District Athletics Association, revealed that from 2005-2006 to 2016-17 close to Rs 90 lakh had been allotted by SDAT to Tamil Nadu Athletics Association.

According to Ganesh, close to Rs 10 lakh was allotted in 2017-18 and total amount allotted in the last 12 years comes close to Rs 1 crore. He also added that the state athletics association is an unregistered body.

Another RTI filed by Ganesh seeking information about registration status of Tamil Nadu Athletics Association reveals that the association was registered only in 2018.

“Information obtained under RTI Act reveals that the state athletics association was registered only in 2018 and it has been proved that SDAT had been allotting huge amount of public funds to an unregistered sports body for more than a decade,” Ganesh stated.

He added that the athletics association is a known corrupt body which has swindled huge amount of money during the past. “Earlier, there were reports that Tamil Nadu Athletics Association had obtained signatures from athletes in empty sheets and had favoured athletes who were close to them instead of meritorious candidates,” said Ganesh.

Further, Ganesh added that all the registered associations had to submit audit report every year but as the state athletics association is receiving huge amount from SDAT and from sponsors they could not submit the audit report every year. “After I filed the RTI application, the state athletics association registered in October, 2018 and it was revealed in another RTI information given by the District Registrar Office,” said Ganesh.

SDAT bylaws state that funds had to be given only to registered bodies but SDAT had violated its own laws by providing funds to an unregistered sports body.

“Disbursal of funds to the state athletics association would not have happened without any help from the officials inside SDAT and it needs to be investigated,” demanded Ganesh.When Dheeraj Kumar, Secretary, Youth Welfare and Sport Department, Tamil Nadu, was asked about the disbursal of funds by SDAT to an unregistered sports body, he said, “Generally sports department does not interfere in the functioning of sports bodies, but as public funds are involved an investigation would be done.”