New Delhi, Aug. 30 : The Union Cabinet will discuss a new Sports Bill prepared by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs here on Tuesday.

The bill seeks to put the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the Right To Information (RTI) Act and also cut sports czars down to size.

Sports Minister Ajay Maken has said the bill, if passed, aims to make sports bodies more transparent and accountable.

Maken revealed on Monday that the draft of the National Sports Development Bill will be discussed by the cabinet, and if approved, will be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing monsoon session.

Maken said sports bodies needed to be reformed urgently, and hoped that Parliament would vote unanimously to make it into law.

The new Bill proposes a 23-member advisory council comprising members from the government and sports federations. The panel will advise the Centre on recognising and de-recognising sports federations as well as on matters of strategy.

The move comes closely on the heels of a stinging indictment by the government''s auditor in its report on the Centre''s role in the mess that the Commonwealth Games (CWG) was.

The sporting extravaganza was marred by massive financial irregularities, poor planning and implementation and major infrastructural goof-ups. According to the provisions of this proposed tough Bill, sports federations will have to comply with the fresh directives within a year, which will make elections compulsory every four years.

The Bill also proposes that no person beyond the age of 70 can hold more than two terms in office. At the same time, they cannot hold more than two positions. This rule is intended to end the monopoly held by several politicians over the years as heads of various sports bodies.

All sports federations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will come under the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The new Bill will now make it mandatory for cricketers too to undergo age and dope tests.

The final authority on overseeing all national sports federations, Indian Olympic Association (IOA), playing fields and anti-doping agency NADA will be the Central government.

The Bill also envisages a sports ombudsman to arbitrate between warring factions or over disputes.

It also incorporates a sports tribunal to be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court to decide on penalties and pass judgements.

The proposed Bill has met with stiff resistance by sports federations in the past which are headed by politicians cutting across party lines.

BCCI vice-president and junior Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajiv Shukla was non-commital on the move when asked for his comments on Tuesday. He said that he could not react to media speculation. He, however, said that when the BCCI does not depend on the government or the sports ministry for funds, where was the question of it coming under the government''s jurisdiction and control. (ANI)