The BCCI on Wednesday expressed reservations on five Lodha committee recommendations, which it believes are tough to implement. (Source: Express Archive)
The BCCI on Wednesday expressed reservations on five Lodha committee recommendations, which it believes are tough to implement. These are one state, one vote; definition of powers of appointed executives; size and constitution of the apex council; age, tenure and cooling off period; and the size of the national selection committee.
An office-bearer from a North Zone unit compared Wednesday’s special general body meeting with the one held on October 1 last year and said: “Last year’s meeting had agreed to accept 85-90 per cent of the Lodha Committee recommendations, while today we have agreed to adopt the new constitution except five points that would be presented before the Supreme Court for reconsideration.”
This was yet another SGM that has stonewalled — even without the presence of N. Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah, restrained by the court — based on Lodha Committee recommendations accepted by the apex court in its July 18, 2016 order.
The BCCI didn’t adopt the new conflict-of-interest rules either, framed by the Committee of Administrators (CoA). Rather, the members placed the matter before the BCCI’s legal cell for alterations/modifications, if required. The general body also didn’t appoint an ombudsman and didn’t adopt the new funds disbursement policy either.
A state association member said restrictions on government servants from holding offices in the BCCI and state unit was also discussed, citing the national sports code that reportedly doesn’t put the limitation. The matter could be referred to the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court, out of trust, told them (BCCI members) to pass the constitution and then come back with practical difficulties. But today’s SGM has taken out the entire theme of the reform,” a source close to the CoA told this paper.
The Supreme Court, in its order on Monday, had said: “All concerned shall implement the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee Report as far as practicable, barring the issues which have been raised pertaining to membership, number of members of the selection committee, concept of associate membership, etc.” adding: “The purpose is to implement the report as far as practicable.” The next hearing is scheduled for August 18.
Justice Sen eligible: CoA
Meanwhile, CoA chairman Vinod Rai clarified that Justice (retd) Vikramajit Sen attending Wednesday’s SGM on behalf of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) wasn’t a violation of the Supreme Court order “at all”. “It’s not a violation. There are office-bearers, and the (DDCA) office-bearers have been superseded; the elected body has been superseded by an order of the high court and Justice Sen is now the appointee of the court. So he is actually the office-bearer. It’s not a violation of the Supreme Court order at all,” Rai told The Indian Express.
However, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri had to leave the meeting as the BCCI wanted to adhere to the Supreme Court dikat that allowed only office-bearers to attend.
