State removes politicians as heads of sport complexes, restores powers to officials

Maharashtra government replaces politicians with administrative officers in sports complex committees to curb cost overruns and enhance decision-making efficiency.

MUMBAI: In a corrective step following the cost escalation of ₹339 crore on 18 sports complexes last year, the state government has approved a change in the structure of sport complex committees. The guardian ministers and local MLAs who headed these committees have now been replaced with administrative officers.

State removes politicians as heads of sport complexes, restores powers to officials

The government-approved limit for the sports complexes was ₹172 crore but they ultimately cost ₹511.68 crore. Last year, before the assembly elections, the state cabinet issued a post-work approval for the ₹339.68-crore cost escalation despite the finance department’s strong remarks that had termed this an “out-of-limit expenditure”. Since then, the issue of the approval process has been under consideration. In Maharashtra, there are many sports complexes in various stages of completion.

As per the structure of the committee, the chairman and member secretary are authorised to sign for financial transactions regarding the work and operations of sports complexes. Before 2016, local MLAs were only invitee members in tehsil sports complex committees but in February 2016, they were made heads of the committees. Four years later, in August 2020, guardian ministers were chosen to head sports complex committees at the divisional and district level in place of the divisional commissioner and the district collector. After being chosen to head the committees, the politicians became the signing authority for financial transactions.

Last week, the sports department issued an order regarding the restructuring of sports complex committees. Stating that restructuring had been under consideration for some time, the order mandates the divisional commissioner to helm the divisional sports complex committee and the district collector to head the district committee. “At the tehsil level a sub-divisional officer will head the committee,” says the order, which relegates guardian ministers and local MLAs to invitee members once again.

The order further states that as head of the sports complex committees, divisional commissioners, district collectors and sub-divisional officers will have signing authority for financial transactions along with the member secretary (an officer from the sports department) and they will execute decisions with the approval of the committee.

“Political interference has finally been removed,” said an official from the sports department. “Apart from this, another issue with politicians heading the committees was that timely decisions could not be taken on several matters, as it is difficult to call a meeting without the availability of the guardian minister and MLAs. Since this was a political matter related to MLAs and guardian ministers, there was a discussion between sports minister Manikrao Kokate and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the decision to reinstate the powers of administrative officials was taken.”