CHENNAI: New constitution of the BCCI has been a topic of discussion of late. The board’s application seeking certain reviews is pending in Supreme Court. Now, the Comptroller of Auditor General (CAG) has also sought a revision, of the role of its representative in the Apex Council of BCCI and its equivalent councils in the state associations. The Supreme Court in its reform order had made the presence of a CAG representative in these councils mandatory.
In an appeal to the court filed on July 3, CAG’s Deputy Director (Legal) A Fani Rao submitted that the CAG’s area of expertise is auditing and “therefore the CAG may be considered for intervention in the affairs of BCCI/state associations only for the purpose of audit”. It adds that the CAG representative in the BCCI/state Apex Councils and IPL Governing Council need not be part of managerial or policy decisions.
“It is thus being submitted that at present the inclusion of a member of CAG in the Apex Council or IPL Governing Council is not serving the objective of the Justice Lodha Committee as well as this Hon’ble Court,” the application states. “The nomination of CAG’s representative on BCCI’s Apex Council, IPL Governing Council and Apex Councils/Management Committees of the State Cricket Associations may be reconsidered,” it adds.
At present, Alka Rehani Bharadwaj is the CAG representative in BCCI Apex Council and IPL Governing Council. She has asked the Apex Council for updates of the tenure of BCCI office-bearers ahead of July 17 meeting. Not all state bodies have CAG representatives. Some state unit officials say the CAG representatives wouldn’t be able to function independently if they are party to decisions taken by a council they are part of.