Cong to face Oppn heat in assembly over RCA dispute

JAIPUR: The ruling party could feel the heat over the Rajasthan Cricket Association's controversies involving bureaucrat Sanjay Dixit during the state assembly's upcoming monsoon session.
The Opposition appears geared up to corner the Congress government on the issue, as the BJP's two senior legislators-Rajendra Rathore and Kalicharan Sarraf-have submitted separate sets of questions to know Dixit's legal status in the state cricketing body where he holds the elected post of RCA secretary.The questions are meant to be answered in the assembly session starting from August 23.
Ever since Dixit got engaged in a supremacy tussle with the association's president and Union minister C P Joshi, questions are being asked if the IAS officer has the mandatory government sanction to serve the cricket body.
"The chief minister is concerned over RCA offices being locked because of the tussle, but is not bothering about the people who are going without water and electricity," BJP chief whip Rathore said. He has also raised a question about Jaipur MP Mahesh Joshi being elected RCA chairperson without holding the association's annual general meeting.
Two BJP leaders want to know if Dixit's association with RCA was in agreement with the All India Services Conduct Rules, 1968 or with any other law governing government employees. "I have asked when was the permission sought, who granted it and when. Another question is whether Dixit is facing embezzlement charges?" Rathore told TOI.
As per sources, the IAS officer requested permission from the state sports department for participating in the RCA "management" on August 17, 2010 and got it the same day. Dixit had already contested and won the RCA secretary's election eight months ago on December 7, 2009. Nonetheless, the permission granted in August 2010 was withdrawn seven months later on February 17, 2011, with retrospective effect.
Sources pointed out that one of the reasons why the permission was withdrawn was that it was sought under the Rajasthan Sports Act, 2005, instead of the All India Services Conduct Rules.
Under rule 13(5)(i) of the 1968 Rules, an IAS officer is required to obtain prior permission from the Centre to hold an elective office in any sports body for a term of more than four years or for one term, whichever is less.