Lodha panel to submit report on BCCI on January 4

The RM Lodha committee will, on January 4, submit its final report that deals with recommending changes to the BCCI's constitution and manner of functioning, a task assigned to it by the Supreme Court at the start of 2015.

It is understood that the three-member committee will concurrently submit the report to the court as well as the BCCI, before making it public at a media conference. The panel had sought an extension in July to complete the report, following which the Supreme Court had set a deadline of December 31.

The report assumes significance as the Supreme Court has made it clear that the panel's suggestions would be binding upon the BCCI. The timing of the report interestingly coincides with a reform drive initiated by BCCI president Shashank Manohar after his election in October. Incidentally, Manohar met the panel recently, but refused to divulge any details.

In January this year, the Supreme Court tasked the three-member panel - comprising Lodha, a former Chief Justice of India, along with retired Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and RV Raveendran - with determining the quantum of punishment for Gurunath Meiyappan, Raj Kundra and their respective franchises. The panel was also directed to "examine and make suitable recommendations to the BCCI for such reforms in its practices and procedures and such amendments in the Memorandum of Association, Rules and Regulations as may be considered necessary and proper."

The court wanted the committee to suggest amendments to the processes followed by the BCCI "with a view to preventing sporting frauds, conflict of interests, streamlining the working of BCCI to make it more responsive to the expectations of the public at large."

The committee initiated that process in April when it sent an exhaustive, pointed and incisive 82-point questionnaire to various high-ranked BCCI officials, both past and present.