CoA smells BCCI conspiracy to undermine its decisions

NEW DELHI: The Committee of Administrators (CoA) are not enamored by means of the defiance of the BCCI office-bearers, who're fascinated by going ahead with the particular normal meeting (SGM) in the capital on June 22. As such the CoA smells a conspiracy by means of the BCCI's old guard to undermine their selections.

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"In the above circumstances, it is clear that characterizing the General Body as "supreme" is nothing but an attempt to bypass the orders passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in terms of which the office bearers of BCCI are required to act under the supervision and control of the Committee of Administrators. Your email itself concedes that the General Body intends to discuss issues in which the decisions taken by the Committee of Administrators are likely to come up for discussion. This reveals that the real purpose of the proposed SGM is to try and undermine decisions taken by the Committee of Administrators. Indeed, the contentions raised in your trailing email are clearly self-serving and have no basis either in law or fact," the CoA wrote to secretary Amitabh Choudhary on Tuesday.

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The two-member CoA also delivered to the notice of Choudhary that they don't seem to be in receipt of any requisition calling for the SGM. "Even if you have actually issued the notice dated 31st May 2018 upon receipt of the required number of requisitions from the Member Associations of BCCI, it was nevertheless incumbent upon you (as an office bearer) to seek the approval of the Committee of Administrators in terms of Paragraph 10 of the directions dated 15th March 2018 prior to doing so (in exercise of your duty as an office bearer). Your otherwise lengthy and protracted email fails to offer any explanation as to why you did not do so. Nothing in the existing Memorandum and Rules of Regulations of BCCI prevented you from forwarding any requisitions that you may have received to the Committee of Administrators and seeking approval. Till today, the Committee of Administrators has not seen a single requisition let alone the required number of requisitions."

The CoA also mentioned that it derives its powers from the course of the Supreme Court. "Notwithstanding your views/opinion regarding the directions dated 15th March 2018 issued by the Committee of Administrators, the same have been issued in exercise of the powers conferred on the Committee of Administrators by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Accordingly, until and unless the Hon'ble Supreme Court specifically orders otherwise, you (and indeed all concerned) continue to be bound by the same. In any event, the Committee of Administrators had responded to your email dated 16th March 2018 on the same day reiterating the directions dated 15th March 2018 after due consideration of the facts contained in your said email."

It also said that they are compelled to adopt a stricter and move concerned means since the office-bearers reluctance to implement the SC order. "However, you have conveniently failed to refer to the subsequent events which compelled the Committee of Administrators to adopt a stricter and more involved approach. These subsequent events are set out in detail in various status reports filed by the Committee of Administrators from time to time (which again you have referred to selectively) and include the rejection (by the General Body of BCCI) of the fundamental core of the reforms mandated by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and failure to implement even those reforms which are claimed to have been accepted. These events did not and do not inspire any confidence in the General Body of BCCI either to act in furtherance of the reforms and/or conduct itself in a manner which would enhance the dignity and majesty of the game of cricket."

The CoA also mentioned that it is within their proper to intrude in the affairs of the BCCI as and when required. "The email dated 1st April 2017 states that the Committee of Administrators do not intend to interfere with the decisions of the various committees of BCCI and/or the General Body as long as the same do not conflict with the duties/decisions of the Committee of Administrators. This itself makes it clear that the Committee of Administrators can and will interfere with decisions of the various committees of BCCI and the General Body where it considers necessary."

The e mail also states that the "constituent members of BCCI can no longer claim monopoly over policy-making because the public and the players have been recognized as primary/core stakeholders. Until the Judgment is implemented in its letter and spirit and a truly representative body (which will account for the voices of all the stakeholders) is put in place at all levels, all important decisions, whether they relate to any past policy or not, would also need to answer the interests of the game, the players and the public at large. The Committee of Administrators is duty bound to ensure the same and has acted accordingly. Therefore, in the meanwhile, until the Judgment is implemented in its letter and spirit, the Committee of Administrators are empowered, nay obligated to take such decisions."

CoA asks workers to not assist SGM

In some other letter CoA instructed the board employees to not assist the officials at carrying out any normal meeting. "The Committee of Administrators has considered the contents of the trailing email dated 2nd June 2018 addressed by the Acting Secretary and takes this opportunity to reiterate the directions contained in the email dated 1st June 2018 addressed by the Committee of Administrators to the effect that no BCCI employee/ consultant/ retainer/ service provider shall prepare and/or circulate any papers in respect of the said SGM or in any way act further to or in aid of the notice (including without limitation incurring any costs or expenses towards the said SGM by way of bookings, etc."