The State’s most efficient sports administrator Asirbad Behera on Wednesday temporarily stepped down from the post of honourary secretary of the Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) following a direction from the Supreme Court.
While adjudicating a special leave petition (SlP) filed by the OOA in which it has challenged a judgment of the Orissa High Court, a Division Bench of the Apex Court comprising Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant in an interim order restrained Behera from functioning as the association secretary till April 13 when the matter will come up for further hearing.
“Respecting the Supreme Court direction, I have stepped down from the post and handed over the charge to our joint secretary RK Parida to look after the day-to-day functioning of the association,” Behera, who had been occupying the post for last 28 years, said.
Behera is also the Secretary of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), the richest sporting body of the State for the last 16 years.
The Supreme Court is currently examining and ascertaining as to whether a litigious commercial complex built by the OOA near the Barabati Stadium here are within the leasehold area as claimed by the OOA. The OOA has built a commercial complex comprising 23 shops and a Kalayan Mandap, namely Barabati Palace, on the adjacent vacant Government land close to the stadium.
The Wednesday’s order came when the State Government’s counsel Ashok Panigrahi told the Apex Court that the two partners looking after the commercial complex are son and son-in-law of Behera, and there is a conflict of interest, which may enter into the realm of fiscal
impropriety.
“Prima facie, the conflict of interest is manifest. Regard being had to the facts and circumstances of the case, we direct Mr Asirbad Behera is restrained from functioning as the secretary of the association till next date of hearing,” the apex court said.