NEW DELHI: The Special General Meeting of the BCCI on Wednesday used the leeway provided by the Supreme Court earlier this week and stuck to its defiant stand in opposing five key reforms suggested by the Lodha Committee and approved by the Court.
Board’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said: “The General Body has identified the areas where there are practical difficulties. The Court had directed the BCCI to list the areas of difficulty in implementation. The Court had used the word impracticality.”
In a resolution that Choudhary termed unanimous, the Board opposed the age, tenure and cooling off restrictions ordered by the Supreme Court. On Monday, the Supreme Court had directed the Board to implement the Reforms even as it gave indication that it was open to re-look at some issues.
The Board also opposed the Supreme Court order on matters pertaining to membership. “We had already been talking about it under the heading one state one vote. The Board would want the retention of the full membership as it exists,” Choudhary said.
“There are difficulties that would arise from the reduction of the Railways, Services and Universities to associate membership. The disqualifications placed on government servants and ministers is also a difficult area because if the Railways has to be represented in the Board, who will represent it. It can’t be anyone other than a government servant or a minister,” he said.
The Board also opposed the distribution of powers and functions of executives set out for the office bearers and the appointed executives. “The constitution of the Apex Council (as ordered by the Court) is a difficult area,” Chaudhary said.
The BCCI was not happy that the Court had ordered the Apex Council to include just one vice-president. “The house felt that the apex council should be expanded keeping in view the size and diversity of the country. It can’t cover the entire length and breadth of the country,” Choudhary maintained.
The Board also wanted the Supreme Court to reconsider its order on the constitution of the National selection committee. It wants to revert to the earlier number of five selectors from the current three. On the much-debated issue of conflict of interest, Choudhary said: “There was a minor difficulty. Definition of friends or associates is not clear. Then there was also the issue of vexatious complains. So what the house wants is that these rectifications can be made. The unanimous resolution will go in the form of a submission to the Supreme Court. Everything other than what I have read out has been adopted,” Choudhary concluded.