Port Blair, Mar 22: The PCC President and Member, State Sports Council Kuldeep Rai Sharma referring the news item published under the caption “Infrastructure & facilities under sports renovated” of the Directorate of Sports published in the news paper ‘The Daily Telegrams’ on 08.03.2015, which promulgates “nobody will be allowed to avail the sports facilities at Netaji Sports Complex without having membership or paying monthly fee from March16, 2015 “, has written a letter to the Lt Governor inviting his attention towards the rates fixed for utilization of sports facilities at Netaji Sports Complex, Port Blair, which as per prevalent Office Order No.37 dated 12th December 2013 of the Secretary (sports, Department of Sports & Youth Affairs, A&N Administration, promulgates membership fees of Rs 25,000/- for life member, Rs. 5,000/- for ordinary members with quarterly subscription of Rs.1000/- and Rs.2000/- with quarterly subscription of Rs.1000/- for Temporary members which consist of only All India Service and other Central/DANICS officers came on deputation for 2/3 years.
In this context, Kuldeep has expressed that, the entire infrastructure at Netaji Sports Complex is constructed out of the government fund definitely with the intent to provide at least basic infrastructure and facilities for development and promotion of sports in these Islands.
Levy of such high membership fees and subscription is not desirable as the same will certainly have adverse affect on the development of sports and games in these Islands, which as such are at its lowest level both in terms of number of people involved in the sports activities and the deteriorating standard of the sports and games being played in the Islands.
Hence, Kuldeep has advocated that in order to inculcate sports culture in the Islands and particularly amongst the younger generation comprising of school and college going students who are dependent on their parents for monetary assistance, charging membership fees etc. need to be severely discouraged for the simple reason that none of the Educational Institution in Port Blair barring the DBRAIT, Dollygunj have facilities created for playing even the indoor games such as Badminton etc.
In view of this Kuldeep has suggested to exempt the students from paying of membership fees and subscription in respect of Badminton, table tennis, squash, Tennis, multi gymnasium and swimming and hoped such consideration of the Administrator will boost the morale of the sports persons, particularly the students and the residents of these islands.
As regard to membership fee of Rs.5000/- followed by paying of recurring quarterly payment of Rs.1000/- for the Ordinary Members, Kuldeep has also brought to the notice of the Lt Governor that under this category comes the Islanders comprising of government servants of the A&N Administration and others dwelling in these Islands for years who are more genuine and frequent user of these facilities and contribute much towards the sports in these Islands. Hence they need to reasonably charged and certainly not exceeding the membership fees of 2000/- and quarterly subscription of Rs.1000/- prescribed for the Temporary Members comprising of All India Service and other Central /DANICS officers posted in these Islands for 2/3years.
As the Ordinary and Temporary members are required to pay recurring quarterly subscription, Kuldeep has opined that the membership fees being paid by them need to treated as ‘Caution Deposit’ which can be refunded when the incumbent wish to withdraw his membership
