Maken appeases BCCI with revised Sports Bill

A reworked sports bill was presented by Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Monday after his first draft had been rejected by the cabinet. The new bill exempts cricketers from some WADA rules as the board had expressed displeasure over the clause.

In view of BCCI's objections, the Revised National Sports Bill exempts cricketers from some World Anti-Doping Agency rules, including the whereabouts clause.

The revised bill also excludes selection and quality of performance as a criterion for RTI seekers and NADA queries that are deemed confidential have also been kept away from the ambit of the RTI.

The age and tenure norms also stay the same as Maken had to face stiff opposition in the areas.

Maken hoped that the BCCI would have no objection to the new draft of National Sports development Bill, which could not be passed earlier in the Cabinet after some of the ministers objected to it.

"The draft of Sports Bill has been prepared afresh and I hope that BCCI will have no objection to it," Maken told reporters.

In the new draft, he said that doping norm had been changed and rules of World Anti doping agency (WADA) would be implied as per the prevailing rules in cricket.

The draft has also changed norms for getting information under the RTI.

"We have only put economic and administrative under RTI purview and now hope that BCCI will now have no objection to the new draft of the Bill," Maken said.

Not against Sports Bill: Farooq Abdullah

Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday told the media persons that he is not against the Sports Development Bill introduced by the Sports Minister Ajay Maken.

“I’m not against the Sports Bill, but I only asked for a stronger bill,” he said.

The minister also told a TV channel that there was nobody who was against RTI.

"There is nobody who is against RTI. None of us. I think Ajay Maken should realise that whatever happens in meeting cannot be discussed outside. We are not against RTI. What is there to hide. They (BCCI) are not getting any money from government of India at all. So what sort of thing is he asking," he said.


Abdullah had said Maken should look at the stadia which are under his control and ensure their good upkeep so that athletes get a chance to compete at international level.


"He has violated the secrecy clause of the Cabinet and we will take it up deliberately at the next Cabinet Meeting," said the minister who was present in the Cabinet meeting where the draft of bill presented by the sports minister was rejected.