The State sports department notification to verify the credentials of the coaches who are eligible for the cash award given away by the department for their efforts behind the medals, has received a mixed reaction from various sports associations.

The department’s two-member committee of deputy secretary Aloius Lakra and deputy director Sarojini Lakra has pulled up its sleeves to probe the cash-for-medal claim for the coaches who trained the sportspersons for the 34th national games. After the retirement of its third member deputy director Santosh Krishna on January 31, the committee has been verifying the details of the associations minutely to get an error-free result after the probe.

The probe is scheduled to begin today at the Ranchi centre of Sports Authority of Jharkhand (SAJ) for 18 disciplines of sports, including the major complaints coming from State judo, weightlifting and cycling associations.

Though the sports department in its notification has mentioned two dates for the rectification by coaches in cash-for-medal probe, i.e., on February 9 and 13, the deputy secretary hopes that the associations will present their clarifications on a single day. The departmental proof against the coaches of 18 different disciplines of sports has been asked by the deputy secretary Aloyius Lakra, member of the probe committee to verify the criterion mentioned for the eligibility of receiving cash award for a coach of a medal-winner sportsperson.

Presently, a stop-payment has been given over the disbursal of funds on the cheques issued on December 9 felicitation function, which will be resumed once the probe ends.

On the other hand, the sports associations have been busy creating proofs for the justifying their stand for the cash award claim. According to a member of State Athletics Association, many of the coaches and medal-winners were not the inhabitants of the State, but they just represented Jharkhand in the national games. “The coaches have to prove their worth or else other proofs from their concerned native departments where they are working will be demanded by the probe committee,” he said on anonymity over his name.

Lakra said, “The probe will continue till we find the reality, as the first report presented had been denied by the sports secretary and the director. Though the sports associations may indulge into manipulation of proofs, we will find the details during the probe.”