Vasavan Kunnappata, the Volleyball Federation assistant secretary with the National Games mascot in Gujarat in 2022.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Assistant Secretary of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), Vasavan Kunnappata had served the nationwide federation for 36 years, from 1986. He was broadly identified for his environment friendly work. Yet, he retired a bitter man in May 2022. For, he was not paid salary by the Sports Ministry for 23 months, from July 2020.
In all of the National sports activities federations, the appointment of the Assistant Secretary is ratified by the Sports Ministry which pays the salary. The Assistant Secretary performs a key function in workplace administration, and plenty of different work.
“After serving an organisation for 36 years, going home empty handed is an injustice to an employee. Kindly intervene and do the needful to release the outstanding salary.
There are no other facilities like Provident Fund, gratuity or pension for Assistant Secretaries, serving the National Sports Federations. Since the employing authority is Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, it is the responsibility of the Ministry to release the salary of its employee”, wrote Vasavan to SAI Director General, with copies to the Ministry and VFI.
Till date, there was no constructive response from the government to the pending salary of ₹20,32,576. He is again dwelling in Kannur, Kerala, unable to bear the fee of dwelling within the Capital. The drawback began when the Sports Ministry withdrew recognition of VFI in June 2020, together with that of many different nationwide federations.
“The salary stopped abruptly from July 2020. There was no notice or any intimation then, till now”, Vasavan identified. Vasavan continued to execute all of the work throughout the interval, in phrases of the conduct of many nationwide and worldwide occasions, choice of groups and so on. He was additionally deputed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), as its consultant, from July 2021, for guaranteeing varied volleyball actions throughout the nation and be accountable for choice of groups to characterize the nation in varied worldwide competitions.
In October 2022, the SAI dismissed the case, with a letter, stating that he didn’t report back to SAI and that it had not utilised his companies for your complete interval. To complicate issues, the VFI was helpless, as its account had been frozen as per court docket order, because the federation had not paid ₹6.5 crore to the involved get together following a breach of contract within the conduct of the volleyball league, PVL.
“From 2020, I did all VFI activities, spending money from my pocket. I was the IOA representative for selecting various teams. I travelled to Bhubaneswar, Pondicherry and other parts of India several times. Two teams qualified for World Championships. Nobody paid my travel and daily allowances for all these tours. I have become bankrupt. A huge loan is outstanding. This is what I have got after serving 36 years in VFI”, mentioned Vasavan.
