BCCI Should Not Release Funds To State Cricket Associations, Says Supreme Court
No matches, no money for state cricket associations till they reform, SC tells BCCI.
The Supreme Court on Friday passed an interim order barring the BCCI from releasing funds to state cricket associations till they undertake reforms recommended by the Lodha panel.
Chief Justice of India TS Thakur said that India’s cricket board – the Board for Control of Cricket in India – will not disburse any funds till state associations pass a resolution and submit in writing via affidavits that they will implement all reforms recommended by the court-appointed Justice Lodha Committee. The court further directed 13 state bodies to not use Rs 400 crore already released by the BCCI in the interim.
BCCI president Anurag Thakur was asked to file an affidavit explaining whether he asked the CEO of International Cricket Council (ICC) “to state that the appointment of Justice Lodha Committee tantamounts to government interference in the working of the BCCI”.
The next hearing has been scheduled for October 17.
The Supreme Court on Thursday had warned state cricket bodies that they should either implement reforms recommended by the Justice RM Lodha panel or face consequences. The panel has urged the court to remove top officials from the BCCI, including its chief Anurag Thakur, for undermining the panel and not implementing its recommendations.
...one of the reasons given by Mr. (Kapil) Sibal for the non-adoption of the Memorandum of Association (MOA) proposed by Justice Lodha Committee is the reluctance of the State Associations in subscribing to the same. If that be the position, there is no reason why the State Associations that are opposed to the reforms suggested by Justice Lodha Committee and accepted by this Court should either expect or draw any benefit from the release of grants by the BCCI.Supreme Court’s October 7 order in BCCI vs Lodha panel case
Court’s Ultimatum To BCCI
The bench on Thursday had given BCCI a day to give an unconditional undertaking that it will abide by all directions given by the Lodha committee with respect to reforming the cricket space in India.
“The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket In India) is discharging public function and disbursing public money. BCCI is not under any moral obligation to disburse funds despite states not reforming,” the Chief Justice of India had told the BCCI.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Arvind Datar who are representing BCCI and state associations informed the court that getting all states on board to implement directions on reforms by October 7 will be difficult.
Justice Lodha committee had approached the Supreme Court seeking the replacement of BCCI's top brass with administrators from the field of cricket and the judiciary. The panel sought this change on account of non-compliance of the court’s orders by the cricket board.
The Lodha committee has also raised objections to remarks made by former apex court judge Markandey Katju against the committee and the judiciary in his report to the BCCI.
Justice Katju had called the Supreme Court ruling on BCCI reforms as unconstitutional and said that the court should have left it to the Parliament to decide on the reform process.
