BCCI to submit report to Minister on August 1

For some time now, the Union Sports Minister SS Dhindsa has been saying that there has been no response from the Board of Control for Cricket in India officials to his suggestion that they submit a report on various issues. He had made the point at his meeting with players and officials in New Delhi on April 27 in the wake of the match fixing scandal. During the discussions, Dhindsa gave the BCCI officials three months time in which to prepare a report giving details about how they spend their enormous funds, how they intended to clean up the game and what had been done in drawing up the code of conduct for players.

Now it is learnt that the report is in its final stages of preparation and that the BCCI president AC Muthiah and other senior officials are meeting Dhindsa on August 1 to submit what is known as the Vision Report for the next five years.

The government sought from the board its balance-sheet for the last three years and if it has any amnesty scheme for the players, in view of the match-fixing and betting allegations, besides seeking the Vision Report.

The slight delay in submitting the report is said to be because initially at least, the BCCI officials were in a dilemma over submitting their financial report to the government.

Muthiah is said to have personally drafted the report, but board officials have been stumped by the government asking if the BCCI has any amnesty scheme. Officials close to the board president wondered how the board could come up with any such scheme when it's not the lawmaker.

The board is also believed to have explained its profits and expenditure in the report. In its explanation the board showed figures that it spends only 11 percent of its income on administrative expenses and the rest on cricket, shown under various heads. During 1998-99, it has spent close to Rs 1 crore on meetings of selection committees of senior, junior, working committee and other sub-committees besides annual general meeting. These meetings, according to sources, were cricket-related.

The board, however, is known to spend lavishly on the meetings as these are held at five-star hotels and all the members attending any sub-committee meeting get paid for air travel. For a couple of years, the board paid the members their board and lodging, but that has been discontinued following an objection by the finance committee.

According to some reports, the BCCI have been spending more than Rs 50,00,000 annually for the Board's various committee meetings. This expenditure excludes the travel expenses of various members. Most of the Board's meetings are reported to have been held in expensive hotels and the average cost of each meeting exceeds Rs 500,000. On an average, one meeting has been held every month.

It is said that the BCCI's expenses on coaching have increased from Rs 500,000 in 1985 to Rs 17,00,000 in 1999 whereas the annual expenses on meetings have increased from Rs 400,000 in 1985 to Rs 60,00,000 a year.