UDF Government Sabotaged State School Sports Meet: K Rajan

Thrissur: The UDF government sabotaged the conduct of the state school sports meet, MLA K Rajan said at a press conference.

The sports meet is being conducted using the Plan Fund of the Sports and Education departments. However, Sports Minister O J Janish is attempting to evade responsibility by saying that the events were not held under his department, Rajan alleged. He said the Sports Minister was adopting an arrogant approach and that the minister in charge of the district cannot evade responsibility.

Rajan questioned whether the Education Minister and Janish do not communicate with each other. He said neither the General Education Minister nor the Sports Minister could escape responsibility. He also alleged that the minister's failure to visit the accident site or meet those injured was a denial of democracy.

No meeting had been held at either the ministerial or official level regarding the conduct of the sports meet, Rajan said. He alleged that no crisis-management measures had been taken to resolve the issue. He demanded compensation for those injured in the accident and those who had to return without being able to participate in the sports meet.

Rajan alleged that the Olympic model introduced by the previous government was deliberately dismantled. He said the school sports meet was shifted away from the Olympic model and alleged that the decentralisation was driven by the financial interests of intermediaries.

He also alleged that organising committees were not formed with the intention of making financial gains.