Bring BCCI under transparency law: Lodha panel

In a bid to bring transparency in the working of the powerful but controversy-ridden BCCI, The Supreme Court-appointed panel, today recommended that legislature must seriously consider bringing it within the purview of Right to Information Act.

The three-member committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha, said since BCCI performs public functions, people have a right to know about its activities and legislature should seriously consider bringing the Board under RTI Act.

"Having regard to the emphasis laid by the Supreme Court that BCCI discharges public functions and also the Court's reference to indirect approval of Central and state governments in activities which has created a monopoly in the hands of the BCCI over cricket, the Committee feels that the people of the country have a right to know the details about the BCCI's functions and activities," the panel, also comprising justices R V Raveendran and Ashok Bhan, said in its 159-page report.

The Committee also suggested that an auditor be tasked with financial analysis and performance audit to determine whether the state associations have actually expended their grants towards the development of the game and mark them on a report card which will be utilized to determine the due they deserve the following year.

The BCCI, however, has been opposed to the idea of bringing it under the purview of transparency law.

BCCI president Shashank Manohar had said that the cricket body on its own has revealed various information such as income of players, who are on its roll on the website.

The issue of the BCCI being amenable to the RTI Act is currently sub- judice before the High Court of Madras.