13 states give nod to Lodha Committee reforms, ready to usher in change

With the Lodha Committee reforms to be heard in Supreme Court on February 23, as many as 13 full-member units of the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) have given a written confirmation on their nod to implement the committee’s proposed reforms.

In their letters to the association, the acting secretary of the board, Amitabh Choudhary, said that the state bodies have expressed their willingness to accept the change, but save three clauses, Provision of Cooling off, Constitution of the Apex Council and distribution of functions, and powers and responsibilities between Elected Office Bearers and the Professional appointees.

State associations like Maharashtra, Vidarbha, and Tripura have already implemented the Lodha reforms.

In an order passed by the Supreme Court on July 18, 2016, the court had accepted a majority of recommendations passed by the committee, but even after 19 months of the order, the matter is still on hold as a large section of the cricket board members refusing to move.

The next hearing will be held on February 23 and is expected to see half of the BCCI board members softened its stand. Choudhary, accordingly, will file an affidavit before the apex court.

Choudhary had given a prior information to his board regarding the acceptance of the 13 states. He said, “Board of Control for Cricket in India, Lodha Group, Cricket, as many as thirteen full member units have already written indicating their above decision (implementation of the reforms) and more have also requested me to do the needful to bring their views to the notice of the Hon’ble Court. In keeping with the said request, I propose to file an affidavit before the Hon’ble Supreme Court apprising it of the views of the said members with regard to the implementation of the reforms.”

Also Read: Maharashtra Cricket Association adopts Lodha panel reforms

He added, “However, before that is done the undersigned would most humbly request those members who have not expressed themselves expressly on the subject to kindly do so. It must be kept in mind that the next date of hearing in the Hon’ble Apex Court is February 23, 2018.”

As per reports, the Mumbai Cricket Association is in favour of implementing the Lodha reforms to avoid unwanted clashes. South Zone associations like Andhra, Goa, and Kerala, too, are ready to accept the reforms.

Choudhary, along with the other two office bearers of the BCCI, acting president CK Khanna, and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, had submitted undertakings to the court on January 30, 2017, while pledging their support to the implementation of the Lodha committee reforms.

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has already submitted a draft before the Supreme Court which the BCCI constitution will present, adding the Lodha reforms in its entirety, as per the orders from the court.

The Supreme Court has said that it could consider certain clauses like one state one vote, and bar on government employees in cricket administration.