The much-awaited appointment to vacant posts of Districts Sports Officers (DSOs) in Jharkhand hopefully can take place very soon in coming days as the State Art Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Department is working on the service conditions concerning the recruitment at the post.
“Except Ranchi we do not have any DSO in any other district. Many of the DSOs have retired. The recruitment of such officials has not been held for past 20 to 22 years. The necessary service conditions highlighting the eligibility criteria, type of commission and increment process for the employment of these officials is in the last stage. Chief Secretary RS Sharma has ordered that the service conditions should be finalized by the end of this month. The recruitment for the post of 24 districts ‘DSOs will then be notified by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission,” State Art Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs department Director Ashok Kumar said.
DSO is the immediate executive of the District Sports Office which conducts various sports and youth oriented schemes and programmes of the State Government.
Speaking about the background of the vacant posts, Secretary of Jharkhand Athletics Association Madukant Pathak conceded, “When Jharkhand was separated from Bihar, five DSOs came to Jharkhand of which four retired. This also included the name of Sarvar Iman (Dhanbad DSO). The others have passed away. After that the Government has never recruited DSOs.” Imam used to look after six districts as DSO including Dhanbad, Bokaro, Saraikela, Giridih, West and East Singhbhum.
“Government is trying to speed up this recruitment process. I am the only DSO in the State and presently managing the sports activities of all the 24 districts of Jharkhand.
Being single person there are challenges for me but my priority is to see that the works assigned to me do not suffer. Unless, the recruitment is done for other districts I have no option but to face this managerial difficulty,” said Ranchi DSO Dalsingar Ram who at present is the only DSO in the state. Ram informed that the post of DSO is not sanctioned in every district. Somewhere it is mentioned as District Sports Superintendent or District Sports Deputy Superintendent also.
“As of now posts for only eight or nine DSOs are sanctioned. In four or five districts it is Deputy Superintendent, Superintendent or Deputy Director. In Dhanbad there is a post for DSO. No such posts are there in Bokaro and Saraikela. In Giridih and Chaibasa it is mentioned as District Sports Deputy Superintendent,” Ram said.
The role of DSO, Ram said, “Our work is regulated in divisions. This comprises school games and pykka games which are supervised by us.” Ram had earlier worked as the DSO of Palamau and Hazaribagh.