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Punjab players’ assn alleges malpractices, corruption
Saturday 23 September 2017

Players’ assn alleges malpractices, corruption
The Supreme Court yesterday warned top BCCI officer-bearers that they would face “serious consequences” if they do not follow the court’s judgement on the Lodha Committee reforms. It’s clear that the Supreme Court’s patience is exhausted and further defiance against the court is likely to invite punishment.
Exactly one month ago, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) decided to accept the Lodha Committee’s recommendations and obey the Supreme Court. On Sunday, PCA’s Annual General Meeting will take place and new office-bearers elected. Is PCA following the various Supreme Court orders, and the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, to clean up its act?
No, say the members of the Pun State Cricketers Association (PCPA). “They are not following the Supreme Court’s orders and the Lodha Committee’s recommendations,” say the PCPA office-bearers. 
“We, former cricketers, have not been made members of PCA,” said PCPA secretary Rakesh Handa, and added that relatives of the former office-bearers have been made members, in order to continue their rule of PCA. “The sons of a brother of Mr Pandove (former president) and GS Walia (former secretary) have been given memberships,” he alleges. “What criteria has PCA has adopted in giving membership to family members of office-bearers?”
PCPA’s members released a statement today, declaring: “All former state cricketers — who have played at the district, university or junior and senior state level — have come together and pledged not to allow injustice to the cricket fraternity. We’ll go to meet CoA (appointed by the Supreme Court to manage BCCI’s affairs) and ask them to give affiliation to our body, which is constituted as per the Supreme Court’s orders.” The signatories included Bhupinder Singh (Sr), Gursharan Singh, Rakesh Handa, Bharti Vij, Jasbir Singh, Deepak Chopra, Ravneet Ricky, Satish Kumar, TP Singh, RP Singh, Chander Madan and Rakesh Saini.
The statement added that PCPA hoped that former government officials who are members of PCA would advise the association that it would be wise to stop defying the Supreme Court. “We expect all the senior government officers to honour the Supreme Court’s judgement and advise the house to follow the same,” the statement said. “Respected DP Reddy (IAS), Viswajeet Khanna (IAS), Dr Mehta (Retd Sessions Judge), please address us why we former cricketers have not been made members?”
PCPA says PCA is defying the Supreme Court due to an ulterior motive. “They know CoA will not agree to their new body which will come into existence after Sunday’s AGM,” said Handa. “CoA has already stopped the funds to PCA. But PCA has fixed deposits worth over Rs 200 crores in the banks. The office-bearers want to finish this, and they intend to do it by clearing the bills for the new stadium at Mullanpur. They made an ad-hoc committee, but one member in the ad-hoc committee didn’t accept the instructions from the disqualified persons and didn’t allow bills for the stadium to be passed.”
“Why have they not given all the details regarding the purchase of land for the stadium, and of tenders of construction worth Rs 154 crore on PCA’s website?” he added. “Neither the ad-hoc committee nor the majority of PCA members know what is really happening in PCA.”
“We’ll inform CoA about all this,” he said. “PCA must also give the address and age of all the members. We’ll then meet all the members personally and explain to them how PCA is continuing to defy the Supreme Court.”

The Supreme Court  warned top BCCI officer-bearers that they would face “serious consequences” if they do not follow the court’s judgement on the Lodha Committee reforms. It’s clear that the Supreme Court’s patience is exhausted and further defiance against the court is likely to invite punishment.

Exactly one month ago, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) decided to accept the Lodha Committee’s recommendations and obey the Supreme Court. On Sunday, PCA’s Annual General Meeting will take place and new office-bearers elected. Is PCA following the various Supreme Court orders, and the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, to clean up its act?

No, say the members of the Pun State Cricketers Association (PCPA). “They are not following the Supreme Court’s orders and the Lodha Committee’s recommendations,” say the PCPA office-bearers. 

“We, former cricketers, have not been made members of PCA,” said PCPA secretary Rakesh Handa, and added that relatives of the former office-bearers have been made members, in order to continue their rule of PCA. “The sons of a brother of Mr Pandove (former president) and GS Walia (former secretary) have been given memberships,” he alleges. “What criteria has PCA has adopted in giving membership to family members of office-bearers?”

PCPA’s members released a statement today, declaring: “All former state cricketers — who have played at the district, university or junior and senior state level — have come together and pledged not to allow injustice to the cricket fraternity. We’ll go to meet CoA (appointed by the Supreme Court to manage BCCI’s affairs) and ask them to give affiliation to our body, which is constituted as per the Supreme Court’s orders.” The signatories included Bhupinder Singh (Sr), Gursharan Singh, Rakesh Handa, Bharti Vij, Jasbir Singh, Deepak Chopra, Ravneet Ricky, Satish Kumar, TP Singh, RP Singh, Chander Madan and Rakesh Saini.

The statement added that PCPA hoped that former government officials who are members of PCA would advise the association that it would be wise to stop defying the Supreme Court. “We expect all the senior government officers to honour the Supreme Court’s judgement and advise the house to follow the same,” the statement said. “Respected DP Reddy (IAS), Viswajeet Khanna (IAS), Dr Mehta (Retd Sessions Judge), please address us why we former cricketers have not been made members?”

PCPA says PCA is defying the Supreme Court due to an ulterior motive. “They know CoA will not agree to their new body which will come into existence after Sunday’s AGM,” said Handa. “CoA has already stopped the funds to PCA. But PCA has fixed deposits worth over Rs 200 crores in the banks. The office-bearers want to finish this, and they intend to do it by clearing the bills for the new stadium at Mullanpur. They made an ad-hoc committee, but one member in the ad-hoc committee didn’t accept the instructions from the disqualified persons and didn’t allow bills for the stadium to be passed.”

“Why have they not given all the details regarding the purchase of land for the stadium, and of tenders of construction worth Rs 154 crore on PCA’s website?” he added. “Neither the ad-hoc committee nor the majority of PCA members know what is really happening in PCA.”

“We’ll inform CoA about all this,” he said. “PCA must also give the address and age of all the members. We’ll then meet all the members personally and explain to them how PCA is continuing to defy the Supreme Court.”

(Courtesy: The Tribune)

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