Fund freeze unlikely to stop cricketing activities

THE COURT ORDER ON FRIDAY BARRED 13 STATE BODIES THAT HAD RECEIVED MONEY FROM UTILISING FUNDS

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s interim order to force the Indian cricket board to comply with administrative reforms suggested by the Justice RM Lodha Committee will hurt state units no doubt, but they have sufficient funds to ensure an uninterrupted domestic season.

The court order on Friday barred 13 state associations that had received money from the board following its Special General Meeting (SGM) from utilising the funds until they file an affidavit that they will abide by the Lodha panel directives. These units had been distributed `15 crore each.

The remaining 12 state units have also been directed to furnish undertakings of compliance with the Lodha panel recommendations if they are to receive funds from the parent body. The board disbursed huge sums from the compensation of `1607 crore it received from Star TV after the Champions League T20 was cancelled last year.

The board disbursed the money despite the Lodha panel having directed it that only funds for routine expenses can be released, but the state units were already flush with funds and can conduct the just-started Ranji Trophy tournament without running into financial difficulties.

However, it remains to be seen whether the board and its units use this order to freeze funds to stop activities, as a pressure tactic.

Many state associations had received upwards of `28 crore as advance from the BCCI in August.

Andhra (`28.13 crore), Kerala, Saurashtra, Gujarat, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh (all `28.25 crore) had received the funds in August.

On Thursday, the Apex court had dismissed the BCCI’s contention that its state bodies may not be amenable to various changes suggested by the Lodha Committee.

“You are giving state associations crores of rupees and you are saying they are not listening to you on reforms. Nobody can say that ‘I will get my money but will not reform’,” Chief Justice of India TS Thakur had observed.

The three-member special bench is hearing the BCCI objections to the status report filed by the Lodha Committee.

The court has posted the next hearing for Oct 17.