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Players upset over Haryana’s new policy for outstanding sportspersons
The Haryana cabinet has decided against appointing outstanding sportspersons as HCS and HPS officers
For a long time, India’s 800m runner Manjit Singh Chahal has been harbouring thoughts about securing a job with the Haryana government. After he won gold in the 800m event in the Asian Games at Jakarta in 2018, Chahal has been trying his luck. However, his hopes of joining either the Haryana Police Service (HPS) or the Haryana Civil Service (HCS) came crashing as the Haryana cabinet has decided against appointing outstanding sportspersons as HCS and HPS officers.
“It is unfortunate that the Haryana government has come up with this new policy. I had applied for a job with the Haryana government in 2018 but am yet to hear from them. It would have been ideal to be placed in either HCS or HPS cadre for the state. It seems they have not recognised my feat of winning gold in Jakarta,” said a disappointed 31-year-old Chahal, who is training at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala.
In 2018, the state government had decided that medal winners in Olympics, world championships and Asian Games from Haryana will be eligible for appointment as HCS and HPS officers. As per the new rules, outstanding sportspersons will now be appointed only on the posts of deputy director (Group A), senior coach (Group B), coach (Group B) or junior coach (Group C). These posts would be offered on the basis of their performance in international or national events.
“States like Rajasthan are offering top-notch jobs to their athletes including police services and other administrative jobs. Even I got offers from Rajasthan but did not move. But I’m sure younger athletes won’t compromise and leave Haryana for other states in search of better jobs. This new policy is going to diminish Haryana’s image as a sports-promoting state,” added Chahal.
Echoing Chahal’s thoughts, para-athlete Amit Saroha, who won a silver medal in men’s club throw F51 competition in the World Para Athletics Championships of 2017, questioned the Haryana government’s stand on sports promotion.
He said, “They keep introducing new policies and never implement them. If they had introduced the policy to offer HCS and HPS jobs to medal winners of repute in 2018, why was there no appointment till now? Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had copied Haryana’s sports model and are excelling. And now the Haryana government is stepping down. They should value the athletes and offer them esteemed posts. There will be no choice left for athletes than to move court. Also, there should be equality when it comes to para-athletes.”
Internationally-acclaimed wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, boxers Amit Panghal and Manoj Kumar, track stars Neeraj Chopra, Manjit Chahal and Seema Antil-Punia and para athletes Amit Saroha and Ekta Byan, all winners at Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, have applied for jobs with the state government but have not been given any posts so far.
SS Phulia, director of Haryana’s sports and youth affairs department, defends the Haryana government’s new policy and thinks it will make the system better.
“The policy is aimed at promoting sports in state. Outstanding sportspersons, who win medals at international level can apply for posts in Group A and work for the state government. Since 2018, no sportsperson has been inducted in HCS or HPS. Group A posts offer good salaries and can encourage sportspersons to do well,” Phulia said.
“There is not much difference in the pay package of HCS/HPS and a Group-A salaried person,” added Phulia.
“HCS and HPS involve administrative work. Sometimes, we have seen a sportsperson don’t have adequate educational qualification and thus aren’t fit for an administrative job. It becomes difficult for the less qualified people to perform their duties with perfection. The new policy has been made to make the work culture and society better. Also, soon 50 posts will be open for outstanding sportspersons in Group A category. If we observe that there is more need of creating more jobs for Group A so that more sportspersons can benefit, we will increase the number of posts in the cadre,” shared Phulia.
