Feud in IOA continues, nine EC members ask “unauthorised persons” not to enter headquarters

IOA president PT Usha and most members of the executive council have been at loggerheads since the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as CEO on January 6.

FILE PHOTO: IOA President PT Usha. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu / The Hindu

The internal feud in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) took a new twist here on Friday when nine members of its executive council asked “unauthorised persons” not to enter its headquarters in a notice directed towards two recently appointed officials.

The notice was posted at the IOA office premises after a meeting of nine executive council members on Tuesday.

IOA president PT Usha and most members of the executive council have been at loggerheads since the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as CEO on January 6. Iyer had earlier served as CEO of Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals.

“This notice is issued to inform that unauthorised persons are not allowed to enter into the building/offices of the IOA,” the notice signed by nine members of the executive council read.

“It has come to the notice of the council members that non approved/terminated staff is entering and occupying the offices which is illegal and amounts to trespassing,” it said.

The notice was signed by senior vice president Ajay Patel, vice presidents Rajlakshmi Singh Deo and Gagan Narang, treasurer Sahdev Yadav and members Dola Banerjee, Harpal Singh, Yogeshwar Dutt, Amitabh Sharma and Bhupinder Singh Bajwa.

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It is learnt that Usha is currently not in town though she has been apprised of the development.

Just a few days after Iyer was made CEO, 12 out of 15 EC members alleged that Usha “exerted pressure” on them to pave the way for his appointment, a charge the legendary athlete described as “shameful”.

In February, a majority of EC members claimed that they signed a suspension order declaring Iyer’s appointment as null and void. The EC members claimed that they had also cancelled the appointment of Ajay Narang as executive assistant to the IOA president.

Iyer and Narang had, however, been discharging their official duties since being brought on board by Usha, who asserted that she has full confidence in the newly-appointed CEO and there was no going back on the decision to hire him.

She had also claimed that she had not received any communication from the executive council members on the reported suspension of the CEO.

The salary of the CEO, which is Rs 20 lakh per month plus allowances (total CTC of around Rs 3 crore per annum), is learnt to be at the centre of the feud between Usha and a majority of the EC members, who have claimed that the IOA president “unilaterally” decided on the matter.

Replying to the charges, Usha said that the appointment of CEO was discussed at length in the EC meeting (in January) and a majority of the members present “ratified” it.

She said most of the EC members recommended a renegotiation of the remuneration fixed for the CEO citing lack of funding at the IOA and it “was reduced by over 30 per cent of the earlier agreed pay”.

Usha also warned the EC members that the International Olympic Committee may intervene and suspend India if they continue to act defiant.