CoA has only added `Footnotes’’ to Lodha recommendations

On August 24, the Supreme Court had asked the CoA to draft a new BCCI Constitution based on the order of July 18, 2016 and July 24, 2017 and submit the same to the apex court.

The CoA - presumably advised by its attorneys – has not tinkered with the Lodha recommendations and the original order.

The Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) seem to have virtually retained Justice Lodha’s reforms in a cricket report that was endorsed by the former Chief Justice of India Tirath Singh Thakur and former Supreme Court judge Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla by their order of July 18, 2016.

On August 24, the Supreme Court had asked the CoA to draft a new BCCI Constitution based on the order of July 18, 2016 and July 24, 2017 and submit the same to the apex court. A  Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India  Dipak Misra will hear the BCCI related case  on September 19.

In its order dated July 24, the Supreme Court had said: "All concerned shall implement the recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee Report as far as practicable barring the issues which have been raised pertaining to membership, number of members in selection committee, concept of associate membership, etc."

The CoA - presumably advised by its attorneys – has not tinkered with the Lodha recommendations and the original order; instead it has added a footnote saying: "Subject to further order of this honourable court’’. These footnotes are linked to the membership, composition of the selection committees and associate membership.

The BCCI officer bearers and members felt that the CoA would tweak the original order of  the Supreme Court to the extent of maintaining the present  membership of  the BCCI, including that of the three members in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Vidarbha and Maharashtra) and Gujarat (Gujarat, Saurashtra and Baroda), and Railways, Services, All India Universities.

The Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai and National Cricket Club (NCC) had also made a case for themselves with the CoA. Furthermore,  BCCI officials also felt that the CoA would recommend for the five-member selection committees to be restored.  

Those who have seen the draft Constitution said that the CoA has also listed the Lodha Committee’s FAQs in their draft BCCI Constitution, again as a footnote and has also stated  that  only the BCCI CEO should have the right to execute all the important agreements. "What this means is that  the elected Secretary is being reduced to sign the minutes of the Apex Committee meetings,’’ said a puzzled BCCI member.