A proposed weeklong Olympic jaunt for Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been jeopardised, with the Union sports and youth affairs ministry adopting a 'non- committal' approach, neither approving nor rejecting the visit.
Sources said the 'non-committal' approach of the sports ministry combined with certain other factors, including deficient rainfall in the state and the recent violence at the Maruti plant at Manesar had forced Hooda to call off the London visit.
While it is now certain that Hooda and Ambala MLA Vinod Sharma will not fly to London, but there is a slim chance that Haryana sports minister Sukhbir Kataria and some officials may go.
"The ministry of external affairs has given a go-ahead to the visit. But the Union sports and youth affairs ministry did not respond to the visit proposal and remained non-committal. The proposal was not rejected but it seems the sports ministry is timing it out," an official said.
"The arrangements (in London) were made in advance and so were the payments. The payments made to a hotel are non-refundable," an official said.
{{/usCountry}}"The arrangements (in London) were made in advance and so were the payments. The payments made to a hotel are non-refundable," an official said.
{{/usCountry}}Hooda was scheduled to leave for London on August 4 and return on August 12.
Besides Hooda,Sukhbir Kataria, chief parliamentary secretaries Prahlad Singh Gillakhera and Sultan Singh, CM's principal secretary Chhatar Singh, principal secretary (sports) Hardeep Kumar, director (sports) OP Singh, principal OSD to CM MS Chopra, Haryana Olympic Association president PV Rathee and senior secretary Shadi Lal Kapur were also part of the London-bound delegation.