Former IPL COO Raman gets clean chit from Lodha panel

The Lodha panel has given a clean chit to former IPL COO Sundar Raman.

"His direct or indirect involvement in any betting or otherwise wrongful activities has not been establishment by any cogent evidence," says the report.

Lodha panel recomments that betting must be legalised in India.

Players have to disclose their assets to BCCI to curb betting.

We have suggested the legislature to legalize betting with in-built mechanism: Justice RM Lodha

Also requests the legislature to bring the BCCI under the purview of the RTI.

Any state associations who breaches the norms will not be entitled to subsidies and other grants by BCCI.

The officials must give their state association post once they are elected to the BCCI.

Lodha panel's recommendation on BCCI office bearers: (President, Vice-President, Secy, Jt Secy, Treasurer)

- Must be an Indian,

- Must not be above age of 70 years

- He must not be insolvent

- He must not be a minister or a government servant

- And who has not held the office in the BCCI for a cumulative period of nine years

- Each office bearer will have tenure of three years and no office-bearer can hold the office for more than three terms.

- There will be cooling off after each terms, in other words, no office-bearer can hold office for consecutive terms.

Importantly, a BCCI president cannot come back into the Board as the secretary, has to contest only for the post of president.

"One man, one post, no person can hold two posts in the BCCI simultaneously," recommends the panel.

"No proxy voting of individuals and all these recommendations will be applicable to state associations also."

Lodha panel recommends appointment of an Ethics Officer, who will look into the issues relating to conflicts of interest, misdemeanour, corruption issues and other such complaints.

It also proposes appointing an Electoral Officer to oversee the BCCI elections.

Justice Lodha proposes limited autonomy for IPL Governing Council.

"The BCCI has to now decide, the idea is to keep governance and management separate," says the report.

Lodha panel recommends formation of a players assocition which they say must not act as an union. Former players Mohinder Amarnath, Anil Kumble and Diana Eduljee have been asked to take up the matter of players association with the Board.

- BCCI General Body Meeting will be of 30 full members to elect five office bearers.

- The IPL governing council will comprise of nine members: Secretary and Treasurer of BCCI will be ex-officio members of governing council, two members elected by full members of BCCI, two franchisees, one player association, 1 CAG nominee, one CEO

The IPL CEO will be assisted by six other professional managers and will be accountable to Apex Council. The IPL GC will take all decision with regards to IPL including financial.

The panel recommends that the daily functioning of BCCI will be conducted by CEO, who will be assisted by a team.

Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha, who headed the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee, says he interacted with all stakeholders, and six former India captains were also consulted before he prepared the report on reforms in Indian cricket which was submitted to the apex court on Monday.

"Presently, BCCI has 33 members, some of these members do not have any territory like Services, Railways, All India Universities, some of these don't play tournaments like NCC, CCI. Some of the states have multiple members like Maharashtra has 3, Gujarat has 2.

"One representations for each state is a fair idea. One state, one association with a right to vote. Institutional units to be relegated to associate members," says Justice Lodha as he begins reading out the report.

"One state must be a unit or a full member. One association from each state will be a full member and have right to vote. As regards to exisiting members, who are presently full members," he further adds.