Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has added to the Equestrian Federation of India’s woes by insisting it will entertain communication only from its Acting President. The Ministry has held that as per the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) rules, EFI Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh was ineligible to hold that position after completing five years in office on November 14.
As it is, the EFI Secretary-General and most of the Executive Committee, reinstated by an order of the High Court of Delhi, have not been seeing eye to eye on a number of issues and there has been an administrative logjam. It has led to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) cancelling a number of competitions in India.
Of course, EFI has been beleaguered for some years, unable to hold elections due to an ongoing case in the High Court. The Rajasthan Equestrian Association moved the Court as the EFI electoral college included many army units as clubs while the National Sports Development Code of India 2011 specifies that only State and Union Territories associations can be voting members.
The High Court has appointed a six-member Fact-Finding Committee to try and find an amicable resolution. But before that, it may end up having to decide on whether Col. Jaiveer Singh can continue as EFI Secretary-General despite the Ministry’s refusal to acknowledge him because of the DoPT directive.
The focus on the DoPT rules gathered steam in the final quarter of last year. Harish Khokhar, who was elected as Vice President (Finance) and has since signed documents as Treasurer and Acting President, wrote to the Department of Personnel and Training first on November 5 seeking a 75-day extension for Col. Jaiveer Singh to continue as EFI Secretary-General.
Then, three days later, he backed it up with another plea. He said raising the issue of his continuation as Secretary-General would pose a logistical and administrative vacuum. Curiously, he said no other member could be legally coopted to take over the Secretary-General’s role, forgetting that he himself had been ‘nominated’ to be Acting President.
Significantly, it has reference to a letter written by the Observer, appointed by the High Court of Delhi to oversee the functioning of EFI, to senior Army functionaries on November 6 that the order of the Delhi High Court reinstating the Executive Committee superceded all other Government instructions/rules on the subject related to Government servants.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Personnel and Training Jitender Singh wrote to Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu on December 12 that the Department of Personnel and Training may have no role in granting permission of Col. Jaiveer Singh to continue as EFI Secretary-General till his retirement from the Army on January 31.
Dr. Jitender Singh wrote: “The CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964 are only applicable on person appointed on central Civil Services/Posts including civilians in defence services. However, in the instant case, Col. Jaiveer Singh is holding the post of Colonel in the Army and the provisions of the Army Act are applicable to him.”
Unmindful of that, on December 27, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports told the EFI Acting President that Col. Jaiveer Singh was in violation of the DoPT directive of February 27, 2020, which allowed Government officials to hold elected posts in any organisation for a period of five years. The National Sports Development Code of India 2011 embraces that the DoPT directive.
A few weeks later, the Ministry wrote to EFI again that it would not entertain communication from anyone other than the Acting President. In response to Col. Jaiveer Singh’s mails in January, seeking customs duty exemption certificates for some riders, the Ministry reiterated that it would not take note of communications from anyone other than the EFI Acting President.
As things stand, even the position of Acting President has become contentious within EFI.
In August last year, the Executive Committee, reinstated by an order of the High Court of Delhi on May 29, chose Col. Jagat Singh (retd.) to be Acting President in the wake of Lt. Gen. R Gopal’s resignation as EFI President. The following day, despite an order of the Delhi High Court restricting agenda items, the general body is said to have nominated Harish Khokhar for the role.
This may be another matter that can end up being decided in the High Court.
