66 per cent Central funds for Patna sports event embezzled,says report

While the BSSA submitted the report to Bihar Art,Culture and Youth Affairs Ministry suggesting the “strongest possible disciplinary action” against Patna District Sports Officer K M Pandey,he has since been given additional charge of Pataliputra Sports Complex as Deputy Director,looking after sports activity in six districts in Patna division. Bihar ,incidentally,has not received the Central Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan fund for 2011-12 and 2012-13 as it has been unable to produce utilisation certificates for the 2010 events — a fact BSSA Director General,Ashok Kumar Seth,attributes to wide-scale corruption.

In his report after examining the Patna bills,Seth wrote: “If such large-scale irregularities can happen at Patna,one can easily understand what is happening with sports funds in other districts. Funds are seldom spent on players. Sports funds are embezzled by producing fake bills. Such things can only hurt the morale of players.”

Bihar has 38 districts and has so far received Rs 19.62 crore to raise sports infrastructure and organise Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan events. While the Centre funds the events entirely,expenses are shared for raising infrastructure with the state in the ratio of 75:25.

Seth wrote about corruption at every level of organisation of the 2010 sports event in Patna. The event had been held from December 26-28,and Seth sought bills for every little expense incurred by Patna District Sports Officer Pandey. The Director General found that:

* Only 176 players had taken part in the Patna event against Pandey’s claim of 852 student participants.

* While the rule says each block can send players only in five disciplines,the DG report found that some blocks were allowed to take part in eight disciplines.

* A report by the Patna Deputy Development Commissioner (through whom the Central funds to the district sports officers are channelled) said 11 blocks had taken part in the event. However,Pandey put this at 19.

* Pointing out irregularities even in the score charts submitted to him,including a losing team in a knock-out kabbadi round making it to the semi-final,Seth says: “No report on sports events was prepared and the DSO rushed through it when my office called for it.”

Compounding the irregularities,action against the Patna District Sports Officer remains stalled. Documents available with The Indian Express show that while the BSSA DG’s probe talked of “embezzlement of funds”,this was diluted to “financial irregularities (in the Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan event)” in the letter Art,Culture and Youth Affairs Joint Secretary Dr Maheshwar Prasad Singh wrote to the Director of Students and Youth Affairs Directorate,Ajit Kumar Singh.

The “investigation report clearly indicting the Patna District Sports Officer for fraud” became an “allegation report”. The Joint Secretary also marked a copy of his letter to the man under question,Patna District Sports Officer Pandey himself.

On March 1,2012,the BSSA DG’s office sent a protest letter to the Arts,Culture and Youth Affairs Joint Secretary: “The way the matter has been dealt with so far,it looks the government is taking inordinate time in taking action against a corrupt official who has embezzled 66 per cent funds of the Patna event.”

Denying the charge,Bihar Art,Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Sukhda Pandey told The Indian Express: “We have taken serious note of the BSSA DG report. The government will not take more than 20 days to complete its probe and take action against the officer if he is found guilty.” Pointing out that a departmental inquiry was on,Sukhda Pandey said there was no question of siding with anyone. However,she parried question on “elevation” of the Patna Sports Officer even when he was under a cloud.