Vinod Rai is the chief of CoA.
The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has advised the appointment of administrators through the concerned High Court in state cricket associations, where the office-bearers have completed their three-year term or nine-year tenure. The Supreme Court-appointed Committee has issued a fresh set of communications to the state units in the light of “certain developments including but not limited to” the hearings before the apex court on May 1 and 11.
“Where the term/tenure of the current office bearers of a State Association is over and/or elections are due, the concerned Hon’ble High Court may be approached either by the said State Association itself and/or any member thereof for appointment of an administrator to administer the affairs of the said State Association pending elections,” the CoA said in its mail to the state associations.
Elections are due in some state associations. Some office-bearers, like Sourav Ganguly at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for example, have completed a three-year term in office. As per the Lodha Committee recommendation, accepted by the Supreme Court in its July 18, 2016 order, a three-year cooling-off period should follow every three-year term in office (three terms maximum). Ganguly, however, has served two years as the president and one year as the secretary of the state association.
Also, the Supreme Court on May 1 directed the state bodies not to hold elections until it finalises the draft BCCI constitution. The state associations will have to change their respective constitutions to be in sync with the cricket board’s constitution. The CoA, though, has said administrators should be appointed to run the state bodies pending elections.
“It would not be appropriate for any State Association (including any State Association that has or may hereafter be declared compliant for the purpose of receiving funds from BCCI in terms of the orders dated 7th October 2016 and 21st October 2016 passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court) to conduct elections until the New BCCI Constitution is finalized/approved by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and an administrator is appointed by the concerned Hon’ble High Court to administer the affairs of the said State Association pending elections,” the CoA has mentioned.
A state association member took exception to the communication, saying: “The CoA is trying to create conflict. The matters are before the Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Court asked for suggestions to the draft BCCI constitution from the state units. Despite that, on the basis of the submission from the Amicus, they (CoA) are issuing directives,” the member told The Indian Express.