Bhubaneswar:
The Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) today formally approved and ratified stepping down of Asirbad Behera as the general secretary of the body and Rabinda Kumar Parida taking his position. Behera had formally handed over charges to joint secretary Parida in view of a March 9 Supreme Court interim order.
Behera’s decision was approved and ratified at the OOA council meeting, presided over by OOA president Samir Dey.
“The members welcomed the decision of Sri Asirbad Behera. The House approved and ratified the action of Sri Asirbad Behera,” a statement issued by the OOA said.
Ashok Kumar Sahu, Joint secretary of OOA moved the proposal of handing over the charges of Behera to Parida.
The proposal was unanimously accepted by the members, the statement said, adding that the meeting ended with Vote of thanks.
The Apex Court on March 9 while adjudicating over a special leave petition (SLP) filed by OOA, in which the Association has challenged a judgment of Orissa High Court, a Division Bench of the Apex Court comprising Justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant in an interim order restrained Behera from functioning as the Association secretary till April 13 next.
“Respecting the Supreme Court direction, I have stepped down from the post and handed over the charge to our joint secretary R K Parida to look after the day-to-day functioning of the Association,” Behera, who had been occupying the post for last 28 years since 1988, said.
The Supreme Court is examining and ascertaining as to whether a litigious commercial complexes built by OOA near Barabati Stadium here are within the leasehold area as claimed by the sporting body. The Association has built a commercial complex comprising 23 shops and a Kalayan Mandap, namely Barabati Palace on the adjacent vacant government land close to the stadium.
