Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel virtually offered anl olive branch to the Board of Control for Cricket in India for escaping the stringent reforms ratified by the Supreme Court of India, by announcing that the Sports Bill is likely to be introduced after the updated National Sports Development Code is ratified and renewed. At the moment the updating code is lying with the ministry but is not renewed as the matter is subjudice.
The new sports code is being described by top ministry officials as even stricter than the original draft National Sports Development Bill which was brought forth by former sports minister Ajay Maken. That Bill never saw the light of the day due to stiff opposition from all top politicians cutting across party lines. However, the officials said that once the new code is ratified and new Sports Bill is tabled, the SC backed Lodha Committee reforms will not be needed.
Speaking to mediapersons on the occasion of completion of three years of Modi government, Goel said, “The National Sports Development Code deals with issues of governance and age and tenure norms. I can tell you that once the Code is ratified, the draft National Sports Bill can be tabled thereafter anytime.” He felt that all this is likely to be in place in a month time.
Interestingly, the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee recommendations approved by the apex court are stuck for implementation due to bitter opposition from state associations which have gone to the court for reprieve. They have protested the one state one vote, cooling off period of three years and a cap of nine years of functioning each at the state and BCCI level.
The BCCI bigwigs have been looking for some escape route from the SC reforms.
Former Indian cricketers like Bishan Singh Bedi and Kirti Azad along with a clutch of former Indian Olympians had also gone to the top court asking for the implementation of Lodha recommendations by other national sports federations and Indian Olympic Association.
Asked specifically whether the BCCI will then come under the ambit of the Sports Bill, the official also said, “Most sports federations already comply with the Sports Code. The code and Bill will be better than your expectations.”
However, when asked if the BCCI, which had fiercely opposed the Bill when it was originally drafted by Justice Mukul Mudgal during UPA regime, would fall under it as it does not comply with the Sports Code, the senior official involved in the process then and now, said, “If it's law of the country, all bodies which regulate sports will comply. Unless the BCCI ceases to regulate cricket in India it too will be covered by the bill.” At the time of the drafting of the original Sports Bill, Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister had heatedly argued against the need for a Sports Bill while representing the BCCI.
When asked whether the Code and the Bill will adhere to the three year of administration followed by a three year cooling off period, the official virtually red-carded that clause saying, “the bill will follow the Olympic charter.”
The Olympic charter does not prescribe such a cooling off period.
