Former Sports Minister Ajay Maken today welcomed the recommendations of Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee, which has advocated sweeping reforms for the troubled BCCI, saying these will go a long way in improving the health of sports.
"We welcome the report of Lodha Committee. It has a number of suggestions which I wanted to bring in the Sports Bill when I was Sports Minister.
"I am very happy that Lodha Committee has put all those points in the report like bringing BCCI under the ambit of RTI, age limit of 70 years for BCCI office bearers, ceiling to tenure, giving players a voice in the decision-making," Maken told reporters at the AICC briefing.
Maken noted that the Committee has suggested for having an arm's length distance between between BCCI and IPL. It has also advocated making separate bodies for the both.
"Taking into account all these points, I feel this is very effective and will help a great deal," Maken said.
When told that a number of leaders from Congress had opposed similar recommendations made in the Sports Bill during his tenure, the former Sports Minister admitted but said the bill had faced opposition from leaders of all parties including Congress.
The committee has suggested that ministers be barred from occupying positions and putting a cap on the age and tenure of the office-bearers and legalisation of betting.
Asked about on-going 'Odd-Even' formula in Delhi, Maken who is Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Chief said that while now new buses have been added, the Metro Phase IV is already delayed.
"So, if you are not adding any New Buses, if you are not hastening the completion of Phase IV and starting of Phase V for Metro, so what is the Government doing? So far in the last four days, whatever has been done, it has been done by the people of Delhi.
"People of Delhi should be complimented for what they have done in the last four days but the government should also come forward and tell what they are doing in terms of improving the public transport and reducing the air pollution in Delhi," the DPCC chief said.
