Lodha committee tells banks to halt BCCI disbursements

Fuming at the defiance of its recommendations, the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha panel has "directed" banks, where BCCI holds accounts, not to disburse any funds for the financial decisions taken by the Board at its Special General Meeting on September 30.
"It has come to the notice of this Committee that certain decisions have been taken at the 'Emergent Working Committee' meeting of the BCCI on 30th September 2016 to disburse large funds to the various member associations," the committee has stated in a letter to the banks.
The letter has also been addressed to BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke, CEO Rahul Johri and Treasurer Anirudh Choudhary.

"You are aware that by way of this Committee's direction dated 31.8.2016, no further decisions were to be taken regarding the future apart from routine matters. The disbursement of these amounts are not routine, and in any case, not emergent," the committee said.
"You are also aware that the BCCI has chosen to breach the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court as well as the first set of Timelines set out by this Committee which includes the Fund Disbursement policy to be framed by 30.9.2016.
"As the status report is to be taken up for directions by the Hon'ble Court on Thursday, 6.10.2016, you are hereby directed not to take any steps towards financial disbursement of the amounts as resolved/approved after the direction dated 31.8.2016. Any violation of this direction will be placed before the Hon'ble Supreme Court for appropriate directions," it added.

The panel also cited the July 18 Supreme Court verdict, which had told the BCCI to "cooperate and act in aid of the Committee and its directives".

(REOPENS DEL 29)
For the purpose of fixing the threshold value and to appoint the independent auditor, the panel has asked BCCI to furnish six details:
1) The contract value of each of the individual contracts referred to;
2) The term of each of the proposed contracts along with when each of the existing contracts is to expire;
3) The existing norms or guidelines relating to the appointment of vendors;
4) The tender processes followed for the different categories of vendors; Whether the contract is done through e-auction or not;

5) The cumulative value of contracts under each category and of all of them put together.
Panel secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan further wrote: "It is only on examining the above that the Committee would be able to fix a threshold value and also assess the nature of work involved for appointing the independent auditor and formulating his terms of engagement. All of this information shall be submitted within 5 days from today.