BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary Asks CoA to Abide by Board Rules and Says Can't Stop SGM

Baidurjo Bhose |Cricketnext | Updated: June 2, 2018, 6:27 PM IST

Vinod Rai and Amitabh Chaudhary (Getty Images)

New Delhi: With the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, led by Vinod Rai, issuing a directive to stop the June 22 Special General Meeting (SGM) of the associate members of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the Capital, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary in a strongly worded letter has made it clear to Rai and the other member of the CoA — Diana Edulji — that under no circumstance can the SGM be stopped because it has been called for on the request of the state bodies and not the office-bearers.

In the letter, in possession of CricketNext, Choudhary has written that the CoA must understand and clear their thought process with regards to the decision to have the SGM as it was close to 20 state associations who had asked for clarity on certain working patterns of the CoA and not a meeting called by either the secretary, president or treasurer.

“The notice of the SGM to be held on 22.06.2018 has been issued not at the behest of the office bearers as is perhaps the understanding of the Committee but has been issued being bound under the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI, consequent upon the requisition of the member associations who constitute the BCCI and once the requisite number of members’ requisitions is received it is the will of the members that has to prevail and not that of the office bearers or even of the Committee,” he explained.

He further went ahead and quoted the rules and regulations of the board wherein the state associations can themselves call a meeting if the secretary doesn’t after receiving requisition.

“A Special General Meeting may be convened by the Secretary (a) on a directive of the President, b) on a resolution of the Working Committee, c) on a requisition signed by not less than 10 Full Members specially stating the business to be transacted at such Meeting. No business other than the one for which the Special General Meeting is called will be transacted at such meeting.

ii) In the event of the Secretary failing to convene a Special General Meeting within thirty days of the receipt of a requisition, the requisitionists may themselves convene a meeting for the purpose specified in the requisition at such place and time as may be decided by the requisitionists,” Choudhary pointed.

In a polite manner Choudhary finished off by asking the CoA to abide by the rules and regulations of the BCCI as the SC has asked them to only supervise the day to day functioning of the Board and not be involved in policy making.

“Once the members who constitute the very Board have decided to meet, there is nothing in the Rules of the BCCI that can prevent the meeting from being held.

A mere perusal of the agenda listed in the notice shall make it evident that the issues enlisted therein are matters of paramount importance to the policies and the working of the BCCI and the conduct of its affairs in future and to the best of my information there is no order from any court of law which prevents the General Body from discharging its duties provided under the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI,” he said.

The BCCI had called for the SGM as confused by the functioning of the CoA, around 20 state associations wrote to the board and asked for help and clarity on the style of working of the CoA, comprising chief Rai and former India cricketer Diana.