New Delhi: A trip to Bhutan to survey ‘soil and cricketing equipment’ has landed BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary in a spot of bother as the COA has show-caused him, questioning the very ‘need of his presence’ there.
Chaudhary has been asked to respond to the notice by July 4 on two specific counts. “First, what was the justification for the visit to Bhutan? No prior proposal/ justification is seen in the records. No invitation/record could be provided by the office, excepting the rather abrupt e-mail attached on how the proposal originated.
“Secondly, why was the approval of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) not taken prior to your visit to Bhutan along with your executive assistant when you have done so in the past?”
Yes, the players’ contracts are with me. If the revised pay structure is passed at the SGM, I will sign those. Otherwise my hands are tied
Amitabh Chaudhary – BCCI acting secretary
The CoA has also questioned Chaudhary’s frequent foreign trips and domestic travel, which is significantly more than BCCI treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry and acting president CK Khanna.
The CoA was briefed by BCCI AGM (Cricket Operations) KVP Rao that the trip was meant to survey availability of cricket equipment, suitability of the clay/soil for preparation of pitches. But the explanation hasn’t gone down well with the COA.
“All these functions are technical in nature and could well have been done only by the curator and the AGM, Cricket Operations. The need for your presence and indeed the presence of your executive assistant on this visit is not apparent,” stated the mail sent to Chaudhary.
The CoA has also asked Chaudhary the need for 32 days of overseas travel when acting president Khanna and treasurer Aniruddh didn’t even make a single trip abroad in the current financial year.
Players’ payments
In another development, the BCCI will conduct its special general body meeting (SGM) here Friday in defiance with the CoA’s orders. The main issue to be discussed in the meeting will be the failure to pay the players their revised salaries despite having signed their central contracts March 5. The players leave for the nearly three-month long tour of UK (Ireland and England), June 23.
“Yes, the contracts are with me. If the body approves the revised pay structure Friday, I will sign it. In case they don’t, my hands are tied. Any policy decision needs approval of general body and I can’t break the law,” Chaudhary said Thursday.
The CoA has already made it clear that it does not approve of the meeting and has barred paid office-bearers from attending it. But the delayed payment to players is an issue that the panel’s head Vinod Rai is concerned about.
“I personally feel guilty that the players are not getting their remuneration on time. I have no clue what will be the decision of the General Body. But the proposals were there with the finance committee for a long time. The copy of contract has been sent to the secretary after the players have signed,” he informed.