BCCI ombudsman pulls up state units

MUMBAI: While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-appointed ombudsman’s role was specifically tasked to look into conflict of interest, retired Justice

Published on: Jul 31, 2016, 10:59:12 IST

By HT Correspondent

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MUMBAI: While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-appointed ombudsman’s role was specifically tasked to look into conflict of interest, retired Justice AP Shah has gone a step further and directed the BCCI to call for the last 10 years’ reports from its affiliated units regarding the utilisation of funds.

The ombudsman decided to take this step after taking into account the Lodha Committee recommendations on transparency.

“The ombudsman has recommended that the BCCI call for reports from all affiliated units for the last 10 years regarding the utilisation of funds given by the BCCI to such units and call for (an) explanations, where necessary,” the ombudsman stated in his order against Kolkata’s National Cricket Club (NCC) .

Shah has also decided to issue a show cause notice to the NCC for violating ombudsman’s interim order on February 15. “The ombudsman is issuing a show cause notice to the NCC as to why, in light of its continued violation of the ombudsman’s order, BCCI should not be directed to stop its funding to the NCC,” Shah stated, giving NCC time till August 12 to reply to the notice.

The ombudsman also wants the BCCI to prepare a regular reporting mechanism of utilisation of funds. “The ombudsman also recommended that the BCCI may consider laying down a regular reporting mechanism obliging all affiliated units to make such reports at frequent, preferably at least annual intervals and requested the BCCI to inform its office of the steps taken in this regard,” the order said.

The BCCI had received a lot of flak from the Supreme Court when it had asked for audited books of the last five years from the BCCI and its state units. “You function like ‘show me the face; I will make the payment’. (The) impression that one gets is that you are practically corrupting the persons by not demanding how the money is spent. (It’s) like the moment you want a vote and their hands will go up,” Justice TS Thakur had reportedly remarked.

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