'Himachal govt for transparent working of sports bodies'

A day after the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered "status quo ante" in respect of the takeover of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association properties by the state, a minister today said the government was committed to ensure transparent functioning of sports bodies.
"The state government did not believe in interfering in the affairs of sports organisations but it was its duty to ensure that these functioned in a fair and democratic manner for the bonafide purpose of promoting sports and benefiting the public and (ensure) that all sports are being equally promoted and requisite sports infrastructure and other facilities being provided throughout the state", Himachal Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said in a statement.

The state government had no intention whatsoever of taking control of sports organisations and it objective was to facilitate them and ensure that these worked in a transparent and democratic manner as per rules and regulations, he added.
It was duty-bound to take cognisance, where organisations were violating rules and working contrary to the law, he said.
Attacking BJP on the matter, the minister alleged that BJP terming the state action as a vendetta was its political ploy to pressurise and detract the investigating agencies which were looking into various irregularities committed during the previous government.