The Jija-Sala Tango-The Dark-Secrets of Railways’ Sports Directorate
The Railway Sports Promotion Board (#RSPB) was established with noble intentions to promote sports among Railway-employees, #support Indian-sportspersons etc. However, over the years, the #RSPB has been marred by #corruption, #cronyism, and #mismanagement. We bring forward some very disturbing facts dear readers!
The Parallel Universe of Railway Sports Promotion Board
The #RailwaySportsPromotionBoard operates as a parallel universe within the vast bureaucratic structure of the #IndianRailways. Though it was created with the intention of promoting #sports in the country and providing opportunities for #Railway-employees, it has now become a source of #patronage for a select few. The officers in-charge of the #RSPB have separate access to funds, international travel opportunities, and the privilege of being part of national and international sports bodies. They are part of powerful Sports Associations like #BCCI.
Governing Bodies and Commercialisation of Sports
All sporting activities are governed by #RSPB that are members of international bodies. This structure was put in place to ensure that sports remain independent of direct #bureaucratic or #political interference. However, with the #commercialisation of sports, these sports associations and sports bodies have become highly attractive to those seeking power and influence. #IndianRailways having large set of medal winners as its employees, several stadiums, carries lot of weight in associations.
Prem Lochab : A Case Study in Cronyism
Previously, the Railways Sports Promotion Board (#RSPB) was headed by a #Director. However, in recent years, the position has been upgraded to #Executive-Director. This upgrade has given even more power and influence to the individual holding the position, further consolidating their control over the RSPB and its activities. Mr Prem Lochab, current #ExecutiveDirector in Railway Sports Promotion Board (#RSPB) at #RailwayBoard started as #Director. He is an electrical-cadre officer.
We examine how his #selection and #upgrade happened.
#PremLochab, a #Jat and a sauve #electrical-cadre officer became #Director-sports using his political connections. We recently spoke to him about the irregularities in sports selections at #CentralRailway-
His name appeared in past in the list of electrical cadre officers who received favouritism during the rule of the Khan Market Gang (#KMG) led by #SudheerKumar-a scheming electrical officer-
30 March, 2023: “कैसे KMG अपने गिरोह को पोसता है और गॉडफादरलेस अधिकारियों का खुला शोषण करता है, KMG के भौकाल के आगे रेल भवन के संतरी-मंत्री सब फेल!”
Along with #KishoreKumar, #RKJain, #KishoreVaibhav, #TejPratapSingh, #RamNiwas, #NaveenKumar, and #JitendraSingh – #PremLochab was one of the #electrical-officers who were given special treatment. Some were promoted or upgraded with in the #RailwayBoard setting aside all established norms while others were placed in positions they were not qualified for.
#PremLochab, who is married into a political family with ties to #JanSangh and #BJP for nearly four decades, raised eyebrows when he was appointed as the #Director of #Sports for the Indian Railways. Despite not having any known background in sports, Mr #Lochab was given control of the prestigious sports cell (#RSPB) at Railway Board, which holds valuable human and physical assets.
Previously held by an #IRPS officer, the #Director of #Sports position holds significant power due to Indian Railways’ involvement in popular sports like #cricket and #wrestling, as well as membership in influential sports-boards like the #BCCI. With the #authority to make team selections and grant #employment through #sports-quotas, the position often becomes a target for political manoeuvring.
Mr. #Lochab was able to secure the position with the help of his young #brother-in-law, #RahulKanswan, a Member of Parliament (#MP) from #BJP and loyalist of #VasundharaRaje from #Churu, #Rajasthan. Mr Lochab was helped in #promotion as #ExecutiveDirector in same chair as #powerful-electrical-officers found him to be very resourceful.
“#RahulKanswan few days ago resigned from #BJP to contest #LokSabha election on Congress ticket.”
The Wrestler Protests and Jat Politics
When wrestler protests erupted-it was soon apparent that it was text-book case of #mismanagement on the part of the #RSPB or Mr Prem Lochab, leading to international embarrassment. With protest being so public, how could he plead ignorance?
Aug. 14, 2023: “Minister for Railways and His Emissaries!” Please read Para-14 in this article once again!
Though #SportsMinister, #AnuragThakur bore the brunt, #Railwhispers, was the first to draw attention to the fact that these protests were driven by #wrestlers employed by the #Ministry of Railways. We also mentioned that this protest indicates that sports cell – RSPB – of Indian Railways (headed by Mr Prem Lochab) and #Personnel Branch of #NorthernRailway and its General Manager (#GMNR) failed to discharge their duties-
It is learnt that after #Railwhispers established this link, one of the seniormost #Cabinet-Minister instructed #RailMinister Mr #AshwiniVaishnaw to intervene and solve the problem. It was natural to send Head of RSPB to talk! Mr Lochab succeeded where Anurag Thakur, Mary Kom, P. T. Usha failed! This is what #Railwhispers had advised-correct approach was missing from Government’s side. This incidentally is what we have been shouting from the rooftop-Modi ji your Rail-Ministry is not aligned with your vision.
Our sources in #Sports-fraternity mention that Mr Prem Lochab has political ambitions for himself and allowed #wrestler-protest to become #public-embarrassment before he intervened. He wanted to emerge as a #Jat-leader who could unite Jats under him. It is also worth noting that only he was considered trusted by Jat wrestlers-while they misbehaved with veteran #PTUsha claiming her to be partial as she is a #RajyaSabha member from BJP.
One fails to understand why Mr Prem Lochab was seen differently by these wrestlers? Brother-in-law of powerful #RahulKanswan, a #BJP-MP, son-in-law of BJP strong man of #Churu was seen impartial while #PTUsha and #MaryKom were dismissed as partisan?
#Political sources of #Eastern-UP have highlighted that Mr Lochab was partisan in the Jat-Rajput clash. They point to the ready acceptance of Lochab over veteran and respected stportswomen like PT Usha and Mary Kom.
Clearly, he had manoeuvred the whole game in a manner that he was considered #indispensable. No one cared to ask in the #melee that the #protest took this shape only because senior #Railway officers of #NorthernRailway and #SportsDirectorate under him did not act in time to solve the problems.
Extension Just before Kanswan Switched Parties: The Need for Transparency and Accountability
We are alarmed that he has now been given a two year #extension just days before his close relative, his brother-in-law, #RahulKanswan resigned from #BJP and joined #Congress party. As we mentioned Mr #Kanswan was key person to #Lochab’s appointment as #Director-Sports in first place.
Hon’ble #PrimeMinister has always talked of probity. We have been highlighting that a set of self serving people and interest groups have been gaming Ministry of Railways. #Selection of Mr #PremLochab as head of sports directorate in #RailBhawan and his elevation is latest example.
Moving Forward
We have previously reported that certain officers have been accused of forming a dangerous alliance with their own group. It is worth noting that only when #Railwhispers recommended involving Indian Railways, the ongoing international #embarrassment and #humiliation of the #Modi-government could finally be resolved in case of wrestler’s protest.
We have published in past that such officers have strengthened their own people creating a #dangerous nexus. It is a right time that a #woman sports person was brought as head of #sports-directorate, even if from another ministry. #Shameful loss of protesting wrestlers in recent trials has laid bare the game of this group which comes from same thinking and school of thought as Mr Lochab and Khan Market School of Thought. More input is awaited..