Taking cognisance of a complaint by a Dehradun resident sports enthusiast, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has directed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to provide details about the Uttarakhand football association president and office-bearers.
The AIFF which had not provided pertinent information to the football enthusiast under the Right To Information Act regarding the activities of the association in Uttarakhand has now also been directed to intimate the ministry about action taken in the case.
It should be mentioned here that Dehradun resident football enthusiast Raju Gusain had filed an application under the RTI Act on December 22 last year with AIFF asking the apex football body to provide information including the local address of the new Uttarakhand football association president Ravinder Kishan Gaikwad.
Gusain states that rather than providing the information he had sought, the AIFF asked him to approach the State association for the required information. Miffed at the AIFF’s reply to his queries, the applicant approached the Union ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports with his complaint.
The applicant said that as per the guidelines of the ministry, it is mandatory for each national sports federation to maintain contact details of states affiliated to them.
In a letter dated February 4 to the AIFF general secretary, the under secretary of the sports ministry AK Patro has forwarded the Gusain’s complaint regarding the AIFF not providing local address of the Uttarakhand football association president Ravinder Kishan Gaikwad. The letter further asks the AIFF to examine the matter and take necessary action while also informing the ministry about the same.
Talking to The Pioneer, Gusain said that right from the time when Gaikwad had become Uttarakhand football association president, rumour mongers are having a field day alleging that Gaikwad has no connection with Uttarakhand.
In order to bring clarity on the issue, the sports activist filed an RTI application seeking relevant information but even the AIFF reply failed to clear confusion. Now, it all depends on the Sports ministry letter and on how seriously the AIFF handles it.
Meanwhile the applicant has also approached the appellate authority of AIFF for failure to provide information under the RTI Act. Gusain says, “Football is the State sport of Uttarakhand but the football scene here is marred by anomalies. In about 15 years of the State's existence, the State football association has not organised even a single State-level football championship. A type of syndicate comprising influential persons from various spheres is running the show. All that we seek is that the State association fulfill its duties by facilitating the required sporting activities,” stressed Gusain.