Department ‘squanders’ sports funds
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Chauki Chawra (Jammu), February 26
Though the state government has been allocating funds for promoting sports in the state, the Youth Services and Sports (YSS) Department has not only failed to leave mark in the sports arena of the country, but is also eating away funds gathered from schools.

Students rue that despite collecting the sports fee, the department doesn’t supply the sports material for years together and even if it supplies, the quality of material is ‘substandard’.

“We want to play during games period but due to non-availability of the sports material, we can’t do so. We even pay Rs 30 as sports fee,” rued Sandeep Sharma, a student of Government HigherSecondary School here.

A teacher of the school, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that though they had deposited the money with the department for supplying the material, it hardly provided the same for years together.

The teacher further alleged that the department had provided the sports material a few years back, but it was found to be of substandard quality.

“There is a large scale corruption in the department and orders for the supply of material are placed with a company that gives bribes to officials,” the teacher alleged.

However, director, Youth Services and Sports, Jaipal Singh said the money collected from the sports fee was meant for other activities like holding competitions and was not for supplying the sports material to schools.

He refused to comment on other issues.

Meanwhile, sources in the state Finance Department averred that the government provided huge funds to the department for holding various competitions under the sports fund.