NSC issues budgets as FY nears end

KATHMANDU, June 30: National Sports Council (NSC) has released around Rs 7 million to national associations of 26 different sports even as only two weeks remain in the current fiscal year.



NSC, at a program at its premises on Thursday, handed over checks to the associations for their programs -- some already concluded and some planned for the future.

A high-level NSC official commented that the newly formed NSC board has taken a populist decision and released the budgets at the end of the fiscal year to please the national associations.[break]



However, NSC Member-Secretary Yuvaraj Lama denied this. “We´ve released budgets for programs already held and programs scheduled to end within the fiscal year. All the associations should submit their reports after conducting their programs by the end of the fiscal year,” he said.



Nineteen associations have scheduled their programs for the last week of the Nepali month of Ashadh (2nd week of July).



However, two associations, which received their budgets Thursday, have presented programs scheduled for August and September.



This is the first time that NSC has handed budgets to the associations simultaneously and in a transparent way.



Nepal Paralympics Committee received Rs 1.5 million, the highest amount released Thursday for a single sport, while Nepal Golf Association received the least amount (Rs 50,000).



Nepal Amateur Athletics Association, Nepal Boxing Association, Sitorio Karate Association and Nepal Wushu Association received equal amounts of Rs 500,000.

The associations have sought the budgets for regional, zonal and national tournaments as well as for participation in international tournaments and organizing of seminars.



Member-Secretary Lama claimed that handing over budgets in this fashion has ended allegations against NSC on the issue of transparency.



“These were all token amounts but the associations should utilize them,” said Lama. “The government has been providing Rs 200 million for the salary of NSC staff but the budget allocated for tournaments is peanuts. This trend should be ended. Why should we keep coaches and staff in such huge numbers if we cannot conduct tournaments,” Lama asked.



Meanwhile, Youth and Sport Minister Hit Bahadur Tamang, addressing the budget handover function, said the assistance given to the associations was inadequate for their programs but requested the associations to understand the economic condition of the country.

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