The Hindu : Sport : A battle won, but …

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Monday, Apr 14, 2008
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Sport - Sports : General

A battle won, but …

K. Keerthivasan

— File Photo: R. Ragu

V. Devarajan.

CHENNAI: After a long battle with the Southern Railway authorities, V. Devarajan, one of the country’s well-known boxers, got justice from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

Appointed Office Clerk in 1991 in Southern Railway (Ayanavaram) under sports quota, Devarajan was promoted as Head Clerk in three years. When a committee was formed to select Assistant Sports Officers (Group B) in 2002, Devarajan didn’t find his name on the ASO list, despite he fulfilling the criteria for ASO selection.

Irked, Devarajan, the 1994 World Cup bronze medallist, wrote to the Railway Board that he was not informed about the ASO selection. Not satisfied with the explanation by the board, Devarajan sought justice from the CAT.

Six months have gone by since the favourable CAT order, which directed the authorities to consider Devarajan’s case. It also asked the authorities to create a special ASO post, if there is no vacancy. Devarajan remains a Head Clerk.

The CAT order dated September 2007 said: “we direct the respondents to consider the representation dated 19-06-2003 of the applicant (here Devarajan) for consideration for the post of Assistant Sports Officer and place his case before the competent Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for consideration and if he qualifies with reference to all other parameters fixed for appointment in one of the existing vacancies and if none is available, by creating supernumerary vacancy until such time the availability of a clear vacancy of ASO and his inter-se availability will be decided along with other ASOs appointed in the panel dated 28-8-2003 as per merit criteria adopted by the DPC.”

The CAT order further expressed its concern over the handling of the case by the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB). Chiding RSPB for ignoring Devarajan’s letter for consideration (dated 19-6-2003) to be on the selection list, it said that RSPB has indeed lost the services of a top sports personality in the country. The order further said that it is not its intention that Devarajan be selected right away for the post of ASO based on the Arjuna Award.

“We only express our anxiety in pointing out the red tape even in the Sports Promotion Board where talent take the backseat in preference to procedure applied blindly and where it would have been more appropriate for the RSPB to have considered the representation of the applicant dated 19-6-2003 to obtain appropriate formal application in time before the meeting of the DPC on August 5, 2003. The failure of the RSPB in this regard is not only disappointing but also expresses its failure in meeting its objectives with an open mind.”

Will justice be done to Devarajan?

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