New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said that the Justice Lodha Committee will appoint an independent auditor to scrutinise the finances of the BCCI, including contracts involving media rights.
A bench headed by Chief Justice T.S Thakur said the Board of Control for Cricket in India will not disburse any funds to its state affiliates until they undertake to abide with the directions of the Court and the recommendations of the Committee.The top court said Lodha Panel will appoint an independent auditor who will scrutinise awarding of BCCI’s contracts. This is significant as a multi-million dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) media right is to be awarded for the next 10 years, starting 2017.
The Court said that both BCCI President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke should file an affidavit committing to abide by it and the Panel’s recommendations. The judgment asked the Committee to fix a ceiling limit for contracts the BCCI can enter into. Contracts worth beyond this financial limit would require the panel’s approval.
The order also said that Lodha panel’s secretary would send the copy of the order to International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Shashank Manohar.
On October 7, Chief Justice Thakur made the court’s stand clear by ordering that the BCCI will not disburse Rs. 16.73 crore each to 12 State cricket associations. These dozen associations were yet to get the balance payment of their share from nearly Rs. 2,500 crore the BCCI had received towards compensation on account of termination of Champion League T 20.
Chief Justice Thakur had directed that the pending Rs. 16.73 crore and any future funds would be released only after the State associations passed resolutions undertaking to comply with the panel’s reforms. As for the remaining 13 member State associations who had received Rs. 16.73 crore, they can only use the money after passing their respective resolutions to implement the reforms.
The court had made it clear that continued defiance by State associations would witness their shares invested in fixed deposit accounts until they change their minds.
