BCCI continues to firmly oppose Lodha reforms

New Delhi. Dec.2 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) firm stance on Justice (Retd.) R.M Lodha-led panel recommendations continued, with secretary Ajay Shirke revealing that the board members will abide by the decision they had taken during the first Special General Meeting (SGM) on October 1. Ahead of the Supreme Court next hearing on December 5, BCCI had called an SGM on Friday in the national capital to discuss as to how they would respond to Lodha committee's demands for radical changes in the Indian cricket board. "This was the meeting of all the full members. We have once again explained to them the position. They (BCCI members) have again clarified the position that they stand to their decision taken earlier in the first SGM," Shirke told the reporters. "The members have reiterated their position with regard to the reforms. That is all what was discussed in the meeting today," he added regarding the top brass of the BCCI as well as heads of various state associations. On October 1, the board had accepted many of the "significant recommendations" of the Lodha Committee, however, it excluded the important ones which have been bone of contention between the cricket body and the Lodha Panel. The recommendations, which have still not been accepted by the 30-member committee, include one-state one-vote, age limit of 70 years, cooling-off period of three years which included the tenure of the administrators, continue with the five-selectors and keeping to retaining the powers of the president and secretary as per the earlier constitution of the board. Defending its action, the BCCI had then said, "a meeting comprising all members took place, and several recommendations of the Lodha Committee were rejected by voting". Last month, the Lodha panel in its latest report submitted to the Supreme Court asked that the office bearers of the BCCI should be sacked and former union home secretary G.K. Pillai be appointed as an observer to supervise the board's administration. The panel recommended that Pillai as an observer should appoint auditors for awarding BCCI contracts like that for allocating media rights for future editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It further asked that all administrative and management matters must be carried out by the CEO of the BCCI without advertence to the office bearers. Earlier on October 17, the apex court had reserved its order after the BCCI sought more time to implement the reforms by the Justice Lodha committee. However, Amicus Curiae Gopal Subramaniam asked the apex court to appoint an administrator or ask the Lodha Committee to do so. The apex court had also directed the BCCI not to release funds until the state associations file an affidavit implementing recommendations of the Lodha panel. The apex court asked the Lodha panel to appoint an independent auditor to scrutinise the BCCI's accounts and also to fix a limit on the financial transactions of the cricket board. The Lodha panel would also fix a limit on the monetary value of contracts, which the BCCI can enter into, with a condition that all contracts above this limit would be approved by the panel. The order is likely to affect the award of contract for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other tournaments as the apex court empowers the Lodha panel to fix a ceiling. BCCI president Anurag Thakur was also asked to personally appear before the apex court during the next hearing.(ANI)