Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 24 Jun: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has served a 10-day ultimatum to the state government, particularly the Sports Department, seeking a written explanation regarding its charter of demands.
The demands relate to sanctioning and utilization of funds for infrastructure development of Sange Lhaden Sports Academy (SLSA), Chimpu, over the past few years.
Addressing mediapersons at the Arunachal Press Club here on Tuesday, AAPSU games and sports secretary Zentle Mosu claimed that, despite the government funding the state’s sports academy for various sports infrastructures, none of the infrastructure or playground has been properly constructed or maintained. The AAPSU has demanded transparency with regard to utilization of funds.
Expressing concern over the promotion of sports, nurturing young talents, and ensuring that Arunachal Pradesh emerges as a true sporting powerhouse, Mosu said that the current regulatory structure and infrastructure remain grossly inadequate and poorly managed.
The AAPSU demanded immediate creation of district sports officer (DSO) posts in all districts.
Currently, many districts function without a regular DSOs, severely affecting sports administration and development. The AAPSU recommended conducting recruitment through the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission to ensure merit-based appointments.
The AAPSU also demanded appointment of regular coaches and instructors, citing the lack of dedicated personnel as a major obstacle to athlete development. “Regular appointment of all 14 sanctioned disciplines must be made at the earliest,” it said.
Furthermore, the SLSA lacks full-time wardens in both boys’ and girls’ hostels, raising concerns about discipline, safety, and welfare. The AAPSU also demanded an increase in student intake from 2 to 5 students per district to make the academy more inclusive and competitive.
The union further requested the state government to expedite the establishment of SLSA in Miao in Changlang district. Despite formal announcements, the academy has not seen any progress. The AAPSU demanded immediate action to cater to the youths of the Tirap, Changlang, and Longding (TCL) region.
The AAPSU has given the state government a 10-day ultimatum to respond to its demands in writing, saying that “failure to comply may lead to a democratic movement, including the possibility of locking the director’s office.”
Meanwhile, it is learnt that creation of posts of DSOs, coaches and deputy directors in the Directorate of Sports and SLSA are under process and yet to be approved by the government.
