Government committee expresses worries over SAI's fiscal condition
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports, headed by Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, has presented a 40-page report expressing concerns over the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and its role in India's Olympic preparation.
The report highlights several issues, including policy gaps, under-staffing, and the diversion of funds from the Khelo India Scheme to National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs). In the last two financial years, ₹38.79 crores were diverted from the Khelo India Scheme, leaving the scheme underutilised and resulting in a significant amount of funds being returned to the Consolidated Fund of India.
The committee's concerns revolve around policy gaps at the policy level that may be contributing to India's poor Olympic performance. About 45% of sanctioned posts in the Authority are presently lying vacant, according to the report, leading to a substantial staff crunch in coaching and scientific cadres within SAI. The committee urged the body to fill up these vacant posts.
The practice of diverting funds from one central scheme to another is not healthy, according to the committee's report. The diversion of funds from the Khelo India Scheme to NCOEs is a particular concern raised in the report. An amount of ₹19.50 crore allocated for play-field development under the Khelo India Scheme has not been spent due to lack of proposals from eligible entities.
The committee recommends that SAI completes recruitment in six months and provides an Action Taken Report. The committee also suggests adopting a targeted approach towards sports where India has the potential to win more medals. Examples given include Australia in swimming, Cuba in boxing, Kenya in cross country, China in badminton, USA in table tennis, and various countries in track & field events.
The report also expresses concern over poor estimation, planning, and implementation of the Khelo India Scheme. However, it does not provide any recommendations for addressing these issues with the Khelo India Scheme.
The committee's report comes at a time when India is yet to win a single gold medal in the 2024 Olympics and in most Olympics before that. Countries like China, the United States, Russia, East African nations, Cuba, Mexico, and others have shown success in specific sports, such as badminton, swimming, athletics, boxing, table tennis, and various track & field events.
The report was presented to the upper house on Wednesday, shedding light on the critical under-funding and under-staffing of the Sports Authority of India, and the need for immediate action to improve India's Olympic performance.
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