Responding to BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary's query on the role of the board's finance committee, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators said that all decisions taken by the CoA, including those which may have financial implications, will be binding on the committee. The Vinod Rai-led CoA also added that it is not obliged to the “elicit views of the finance committee on every decision which may have financial implications on the BCCI.”
In a letter to the BCCI, the CoA, however, said it might choose to seek views of the finance sub committee on specific matters if it feels the need to do so.
The finance sub committee chaired by former Union minister and Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia met in Mumbai a couple of days ago. On the agenda were 38 items, but the committee adjourned abruptly after sometime, citing “confusion over its role” with members accusing BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and Chief Financial Officer Santosh Ranganekar of “hijacking the agenda”.
Other members of the finance committee are: Arun Thakur, president of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (also brother of former BCCI President Anurag Thakur), Jay Shah, joint secretary of Gujarat cricket association (also son of BJP president Amit Shah), and all three present office bearers of BCCI including acting president C.K. Khanna and acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary.
Anirudh Chaudhry had on September 14 sought clarifications from the CoA on whether all decisions that have financial implications on the BCCI have to go through the process of eliciting the view of the finance committee prior to being ultimately decided by the CoA/Working Committee/CEO etc.
The question was also asked with respect to the functioning of all committees in the Special General Meeting of the BCCI held on the June 26, 2017.
There exists some confusion with regard to the mandate of the finance committee in the present scheme of things and the CoA is requested to kindly enlighten the finance committee on this matter. The committee will abide by the decision of the Committee of Administrators.
In its response, the CoA virtually showed the mirror to the BCCI and finance committee members by saying that the so called powerful finance committee's role in the past was merely clearing proposed budgetary and audit related decisions. “Even decisions taken at the level of the Hon. Treasurer have been placed before the finance committee merely for them to take note. Therefore, there is no occasion for any “confusion with regard to the mandate of the finance committee”.
It also pointed out that the last meeting of the finance sub committee of the BCCI was held on August 22, 2016—five months before CoA took charge. “Surely, it cannot be the case that no decisions having financial implications were taken during this period,” said the CoA.
The letter starts with the paragraphs from the Supreme Court order dated January 2, 2017 wherein, it was clearly outlined that “A committee of administrators shall supervise the administration of BCCI through its Chief Executive Officer.....” Subsequently the SC order of January 30, 2017 made it clear that the CEO of BCCI shall report to the Committee of Administrators and the administrators shall supervise the management of BCCI.
Subsequently the CoA stated that as per this order, the management and supervision of BCCI affairs will be done by it via the BCCI CEO, and the office bearers shall function subject to the supervision and control of the Committee of Administrators. Further, the CoA will have the power to issue all appropriate directions to facilitate due supervision and control of the functioning of the BCCI.
It ended by pointing out that as per the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee recommendations, BCCI was not to have more than five subcommittees and thereby the finance sub committee had no role as per the structure recommended by the BCCI. “Please also note that the Finance Committee (as also various other committees) do not find mention in the list of committees included in the draft BCCI Constitution that is in line with the recommendations of the Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee (as accepted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court). Accordingly, the above position will continue only until the new BCCI Constitution as per the reforms mandated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court is adopted,” said the letter.
