HARYANA PUTS ON HOLD TAX ON STATE ATHLETES

CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, on Friday put on hold a April 27 sports department notification that said sportspersons employed by the state government would have to give the state 33% of the income they earn from professional sports and commercial endorsements after the provision, first reported by Hindustan Times, attracted criticism from sportspersons and analysts. The money was to have been used for development of sports in the state.

Khattar’s decision has created a peculiar situation. The notification was also aimed at legitimising the professional sporting and endorsement contracts signed by these sportspersons, who are government employees. With the notification being scrapped now, these contracts remain in a grey area. There is a rule regulating this for all other government employees. “The April 27 notification was formulated since the state government had given an undertaking in the Punjab and Haryana high court,’’ said a state government official, who asked not to be identified.“the undertaking was that the sports department will be asked to modify service rule for sportspersons employed by the government to allow them permission to sign contracts/endorsements/participate in professional or amateur games, championships at different levels,” the official said.

CONTINUED ON P 9