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Ludhiana District Cricket Association under scanner over ‘financial irregularities’
Also, levelling allegations against the working of the body, members of the Ludhiana Old Players Cricket Association (LOPCA) said the annual general meeting (AGM) of the LDCA has not been called since its last election in November 2020
The office-bearers of the Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LCDA) are under the scanner over the alleged irregularities in the body’s finances. Also, levelling allegations against the working of the body, members of the Ludhiana Old Players Cricket Association (LOPCA) said the annual general meeting (AGM) of the LDCA has not been called since its last election in November 2020.
Addressing a press conference here, the members of the LOPCA said they had submitted a complaint regarding the irregularities to deputy commissioner Surabhi Malik, who is also its ex-officio chairperson, in the first week of October after which she had marked an inquiry to sub-divisional magistrate (West) Swati Tiwana.
The members said during the proceedings, the SDM sought the record of financial transactions of the body, which have brought to light that over ₹44 lakh were withdrawn by the office-bearers of the LDCA, and they also converted the body— registered under theSocieties Registration Act 1860— into a trust without taking any approval in the AGM.
President of the LOPCA Vipan Dogra said, “As per the regulations under the act, cash amount exceeding ₹10,000 cannot be withdrawn from the account of the body, but over ₹44 lakh were withdrawn from the account with the involvement of president and treasurer of the body.”
He said the LDCA constructed a cricket pitch at the SCD college at a cost of over ₹14 lakh without signing a memorandum of understanding with the college administration, which has been revealed in the response to the Right To Information(RTI) filed by them.
He added, “Since no AGM of the association was called, no approval for the expenses incurred by the association was sought, and the expenses were artificially inflated to serve their vested interests.”
Legal adviser to the LOPCA Yogesh Khanna, said, “As many as 242 players receive training under the LDCA and pay ₹24,000 every year, which is also received in cash, but the financial statements presented by the office-bearers of the association fail to show the amount.”
He said that a forensic audit of the bank accounts of LDCA should be conducted.
When contacted, Satish Mangal, president of the LDCA, refused to comment on the allegations, citing family issues.
The LDCA, an affiliated body of the Punjab Cricket Association, trains players and develops cricket-related infrastructure.
