Sports quota scam: No panel member was competent, says ACB

Hyderabad: Principal secretary for Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture (YATC), and the registrars of the Health University, Warangal, JNTU and Agricultural University, currently under the ACB’s scanner were aware that the nine- member scrutiny committee of the Sports Authority of Telangana State (SATS), which was given the job to authenticate sports certificates of students, was internally constituted and thus in violation of Government Order No. 8 issued in 2015.

The corruption at high levels that played havoc with the academic careers of students was operating under the noses of officials holding top positions in the TS government.

Victims say repeated complaints were made against the members to the MD and vice-chairman of SATS, as well as sports minister Padma Rao. Action was taken only when the issue reached the CMO. 

The ACB on Tuesday arrested SATS deputy chief G. Venkatramana, for demanding a bribe from a student in connection with the medical admission scam.

The GO issued in 2015 directed the Youth Service and Sports Department to constitute a committee of seven members to verify the credentials of sportspersons who apply for admission in professional courses like engineering, medical, agricultural and others, under the sports quota.

According to the government, the following were supposed to be members: Principal Secretary, Youth Advancement Tourism & Sports as chairman; SATS vice-chairman & managing director as convener; Commissioner of Technical Education; Registrars of JNTU, Hyderabad and Kaloji University, Hyderabad; Professor Jayashankar Agriculture University and one senior officer of sports authority of TS nominated by VC & MD (all members.)

The order also stated that the committee shall take the assistance of the senior coaches of SATS in the respective disciplines. However, it did not mention that others should be part of the committee.

In violation of this order, an internal committee of nine people was constituted who were authenticating sports merit certificates forwarded by universities where students applied for seats under the sports quota.

Investigating officer Ramana Kumar of the ACB, said, “None of the current members is competent to be part of the scrutiny committee. Apart from the actual committee members, even the agency receiving the report the Health University is aware of this and we are investigating why it accepted the committee’s decision.”

Despite several attempts to reach him, vice chairman and managing director of SATS, A Dinakar Babu, was unavailable for comment.