This story is from July 18, 2016

15 years long wait for Bihar cricket ends

15 years long wait for Bihar cricket ends
Mumbai/Patna: The Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to approve all the recommendations of the RMLodha Commission has come like music to Bihar, which will now enjoy full membership status in the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI), as the panel had suggested. It basically means that the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) will be eligible to vote in the Board elections, and play in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments of the country — an opportunity which has been denied to the state’s cricketers since 2001, when the then BCCI president JagmohanDalmiya disaffiliated the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) while giving full membership to Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar.

The only blow for BCA, which was granted associate membership by the BCCI on February 19 this year, is that its president Abdul Bari Siddiqui will now have to quit either the BCA, or his post as the finance minister of Bihar, since the Lodha recommendations make it clear that serving minsters and bureaucrats cannot hold a position in the Board.
Presently, Bihar is the only state association in the country whose president may have to go due to this recommendation.
“Bihar players have suffered a lot since the state’s bifurcation. I am ready to make any sacrifice for the players of the state. I want a good committee to be formed with former cricketers and sports administrators to work for the players’ welfare. For me, sport is not only entertainment, but a means for development of a state like Bihar. What I am worried about is that despite getting full membership, we cannot host any Test or ODI because we lack an international standard stadium, good 5-star hotels and state-of-the-art airport,” Siddiqui told TOI.
He said BCA would abide by the BCCI guidelines after reviewing the SC order.
However, BCA treasurer Ram Kumar said the SC order will have an immediate impact on BCCI. “It’s not clear if any state office-bearer, who is a minister, will also have to resign. Whatever may be the guidelines, justice has been done to Bihar after long legal battles. Thanks to Lodha Committee!” he said.
But BCA joint secretary Mrityunjay Tiwary, who took the Bihar fight to different fora for a long long time said we would now also be eligible for our share in the Board’s grants, which will help us build infrastructure in our state and revamp the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna.

“We respect the Supreme Court verdict. As per the Lodha recommnedations, Bihar is now a full member of the BCCI, which means that we’re eligible to vote in the Board elections, and we can play in the Ranji Trophy from this season itself, which is the best news for our cricketers,” Tiwary told TOI. “We will hold our managing committee meeting soon to study the SC verdict. We’ll act according to the BCCI directives and as per the guidelines of the SC verdict,” he added.
BCA secretary Ravi Shankar Singh said he was waiting for a copy of the verdict. Singh, who was earlier the BCA treasurer, may have to quit his post as per the new guidelines. “I think, the guidelines are applicable only to those state office-bearers who want to contest the BCCI election,” he said.
However, former India youth team captain Amikar Dayal said the Lodha Committee should have reserved the president and secretary posts of the cricket body for cricketers only. “Fine that an office-bearer, who is also a minister, will have to resign. But it’s not applicable to the MLAs and MPs! Had the decision-making posts been reserved for former cricketers, bureaucrats and ministers along with other politicians would have been automatically ruled out,” Amikar said.
Timeline: March 18, 2001: SGM of BCA, 1935 held at Jamshedpur after the bifurcation of Bihar on Nov 15, 2000; Jharkhand State Cricket Association for Jharkhand and Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), Patna for Bihar formed
May 20, 2001: Lalu Prasad elected BCA president
Sept 29, 2001: BCCI led by AC Muthiah grants Full membership to BCA, Patna
Sept 30, 2001: Jagmohan Dalmiya elected BCCI president, disaffiliates BCA led by Lalu, grants Full membership to JSCA
Sept 27, 2008: BCCI, in its AGM, grants associate membership to BCA, Patna
2009-10: BCCI grants Rs 50 lakh to BCA for infrastructure development and cricketing activities; no fund in 2010-11 and 2011-12 due to alleged financial bungling and litigation;
April 3, 2010: BCA elections, scheduled to be held on April 4, postponed by the electoral officer and retired Patna HC judge after complaints about voters’ list and issuance of notice
June 30, 2010: Managing Committee dissolved and a 13-member ad hoc committee formed; decided to hold elections within six months;
Aug 21, 2010: BCA secretary Ajay Narayan Sharma suspended from ad hoc committee
Sept 12, 2010: Sharma faction claims to have held SGM and AGM and constituted a Managing Committee at the instance of 1/3rd of the members, supersedes ad hoc committee
Sept 20, 2011: Single judge of Patna HC holds legal the AGM of Sept 12, 2010; LPA (1713/2011) filed in Double Bench of Patna HC challenging the legality of the single judge decision
Feb 2, 2012: Diverse opinion; matter referred to Full Bench of Patna HC
Dec 2013: Lalu Prasad faction of BCA moves SLP in the Supreme Court against the Patna high court order dated 10.07.2013; SC asked BCA factions to hold election, appointed retired Patna HC judge Dharampal Sinha as observer; Siddiqui was elected BCA president in September 2015
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