Unfazed by the rejection of his Bill, Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Thursday said he would talk to his Cabinet colleagues to convince them but ruled out any dialogue with BCCI bigwigs.

Maken, who is keen to cleanse the system of managing the sports organisations by bringing in transparency and accountability, asserted that his attempt was to prevent any more scams like CWG.

In an interview to PTI, he rejected the contention of the opponents that he was bringing the National Sports Development Bill to ensure that government gets control of the sports bodies and expressed readiness to rework some of the clauses, except those linked to transparency and accountability.

"I am sure I will be able to reason out with people who are opposed (to the bill) because I am clear on one thing, we do not intend to control or be intrusive. We will discuss with them and we are willing to rework on any such provision which they feel government wants to control", Maken said.

The Sports Bill was rejected by the Cabinet on Tuesday after several ministers, having interests in sports bodies, raised objections to many of the clauses, including cap on age and tenure restrictions. Maken was told to redraft the Bill.

Asked specifically if he was willing to talk to BCCI officials to find a way out, Maken said "BCCI has already being talked to by our committee, so I would be talking to my cabinet colleagues, I will try to convince them and discuss with them".

On the strong opposition by some Union Ministers to some clauses of the Bill, Maken said he was "willing to have a re-look" without compromising aspects like efficiency and transparency by bringing sports bodies under purview of RTI.

The Sports Minister was peeved at the BCCI's refusal to come under RTI, saying people of the country have a right to know how public money was being spent as the Cricket Board gets indirect government benefits like tax exemptions and land.

Insisting that BCCI cannot give the excuse of being an autonomous body to escape RTI scrutiny, he said the Cricket Board should consider itself a public authority under the RTI Act as it "directly or indirectly" benefits from the government.

"We are just saying that information regarding accounts and functioning of the organisation should be given to the citizens, particularly when you are sending Indian teams outside for tournaments," Maken insisted and asked "what is the problem in giving information to the public?"

He said "the biggest public functioning" that BCCI was performing was sending Indian team, representing the nation, outside for tournaments.

Maken also said that land has been given by the government free of cost for all cricket stadia in the country.

"If you talk about resources or grants, there are some indirect benefits. For example, did the DDCA have to pay for the land for Ferozeshah Kotla Ground? Whenever matches are organised, they earn in crores (of rupees)," he said.

He said the Cricket Boards also avail of entertainment tax and custom duty exemptions, get income tax benefits and don't pay for police security. "They get so much money from tax benefits which is just like a grant," he contended.

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PM should set up GOM to sort out 'issues' in sports bill: IOA

The Indian Olympic Association on Thursday urged prime minister Manmohan Singh to set up a Group of Ministers (GOM) to sort out the "contentious issues" raised by the National Sports Development Bill which has been rejected by the cabinet for now.

IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra has told the prime minister that not only the IOA but all the National Sports Federations (NSFs) are "willing for any scrutiny by the Government agencies."

"We have nothing to hide, the NSFs are open and transparent. The IOA is democratically elected body which strictly follows the constitution of the country and adheres to the Charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)," Malhotra said.

"We in the IOA and in the NSFs are feeling suffocated by the unfounded and sinister tirade launched against us by certain vested interest. This smear campaign is having crippling effect on our preparations for the London Olympics," he added.

"A wrong and malicious impression is being created in the mind of the general public that IOA is against every government move. This is not correct."

Malhotra said the IOA and all the NSFs have regular elections and the sports federations are already under RTI and their accounts are audited by the CAG.

"The government pays for the sportspersons training and travel at home and abroad and that is also accounted for."

Malhotra said the IOA has always "appreciated Government's help which has been enormous."