Centre asks SC to recall Lodha reforms

The Union government on Friday urged the Supreme Court to recall the July 18, 2016, and January 2, 2017, orders on implementation of the Justice Lodha panel’s recommendations on administrative reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi told a new bench of Justices Dipak Misra, A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, “We were not heard when the court decided to implement some recommendations which go against our interests.”

Mr Rohatgi, who appeared for Railway Sports Promotion Board, Services Sports Control Board and All India Universities, submitted that these three members of the BCCI, who had full membership earlier, now stood relegated and downgraded to associate member status without voting rights as per the Lodha Committee’s “one stateone vote” recommendation. He questioned the jurisdiction of the apex court to state associations and said the implementation of the Lodha reforms needed a bigger debate and the two earlier judgments should be recalled.

Kapil Sibal, appearing for three state associations, joined the AG and said the order of one association one vote should be recalled as it affected three associations each in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Meanwhile, amicus curiae Gopal Subramanian and Anil Divan submitted in a sealed envelope a list of nine names, including past cricketers for the committee of administrators.

Mr Subramanian said the listed included some who were above the age of 70, contrary to the Lodha panel recommendations. Mr Sibal questioned the rationale behind recommending those who were above the age of 70.

However, the bench observed that nine people were too many to run the BCCI.

Without revealing the nine names, it indicated that some of them would have to be removed from the list. The bench said it would name the administrators for the BCCI on January 24 from the list of persons given by amicus curiae and till then, the names should not be revealed.

The bench also questioned Mr Subramaniam and Mr Divan as to why the list of nine names submitted consisted of people over the age of 70 and said ongoing international matches should not face any trouble as the chief executive officer was there to run the BCCI. Mr Subramanian said every recommendation came with a reason, which had been submitted in another sealed cover. The court had earlier issued guidelines, suggesting that the panel of administrators should not be over the age of 70.