JOIN US The Committee of Administrators (CoA), in their second status report, has mentioned that Saurashtra Cricket Association which has in excess of Rs 250 crore in their bank account sought funds to conduct the upcoming IPL matches smoothly.
Not far behind is Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), which requested for funds to organise the fourth India vs Australia Test, starting March 25, despite having Rs 65 crore plus in association’s bank account.
Incidentally, ousted BCCI president Anurag Thakur was the HPCA boss when the above mentioned amount was deposited in the state association’s coffers while former board secretary Niranjan Shah ran the show in Saurashtra.
Saurashtra Cricket Association, which was headed by Shah, has asked for funds to conduct IPL matches but CoA Status report mentions that the associations current/ savings account has a cumulative amount of over Rs 213 crore as per March 31, 2016 along with another Rs 42 crore plus deposited by October 31, 2016.
The CoA has mentioned the difficulties they have faced so far, and that includes how state associations are asking for release of funds without complying with the Lodha Committee reforms, as per Supreme Court order.
The report also mentions how joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary tried to “resist” the CoA from choosing their own legal team.
Consolation for Mumbai
The likes of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) or Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) may have lost their full membership status as per the new BCCI constitution but they will get a chance to vote at BCCI AGM on rotation basis.
As per Rule 3(a)(ii) C of the constitution: “In States with multiple existing members, the full membership shall rotate annually among such existing members such that only one of them will exercise the rights and privileges of a full member at any given point of time. The rotation shall be as per the policy framed by the BCCI.”
A media release from the CoA stated: “The constitution has been finalised by the Committee of Administrators in accordance with the recommendations of the Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee and the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
“..Accordingly, Mumbai Cricket Association, Maharashtra Cricket Association and Vidarbha Cricket Association (not necessarily in that order) will get to vote by annual rotation from the State of Maharashtra.”