DDCA to follow SC directive on Lodha committee reforms

The Delhi and District Cricket Association has announced its decision to follow the Supreme Court’s directive regarding Lodha Committee recommendations on administrative reforms, its vice-president Chetan Chauhan has confirmed.

Chetan Chauhan..."We have kept the interest of the DDCA ahead of everything else."

Soon after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to review its order of July 18, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) announced its decision to follow the Court’s directive regarding Lodha Committee recommendations on administrative reforms.

“There are two groups within the DDCA and the opinion is divided,” said DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan on Tuesday and continued, “I am not saying who is right or wrong. There are some who feel that the DDCA should go with whatever the [BCCI] decides. Others are of the view that the DDCA should follow the wishes of the Supreme Court. We will wait for the judgement of the Supreme Court and follow it. It is just a matter of days and I think we should wait and not jump to any conclusion.”

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Chauhan said the controversy regarding the in-stadium advertisement rights had ended with both bidders coming together to pay the DDCA the bid amount of Rs. 2.17 crore.

“We have kept the interest of the DDCA ahead of everything else. In this matter, everything has been amicable settled with Twenty first Century Media (TCM) and Kohli Enterprises coming together for the event. Kohli Enterprises has no previous experience in dealing with in-stadia advertisements. The demand drafts totalling Rs. 2.17 crore will come to DDCA before the start of Thursday’s one-dayer,” said Mr. Chauhan.

The DDCA treasurer Mr. Ravinder Manchanda said, “We are lucky to find out, in time, that DDCA’s tendering committee had not verified the credentials of the bidder before awarding the rights. On enquiries and the responses we received, we held a meeting with Kohli Enterprises’ representative, who submitted that his company had never handled in-stadia rights. Moreover, the company was the one that was awarded the catering contract in Dharamsala for the first one-dayer.”

Meanwhile, the DDCA is expecting to make a profit out of the second one-dayer. “The [BCCI] has given us Rs. 1.50 crore to meet the expense of the match. In addition, the gate-money should see us through with a profit. Already more than 75 per cent tickets have been sold. We expect a full house on Thursday,” said Mr. Chauhan.