Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Committee of Administrators (CoA) has approved the redrafted constitution of the J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) and has termed it compliant to Lodha Reforms.
On October 3 the redrafted constitution submitted to the J&K Registrar of Societies in Srinagar by the J&K High Court appointed administrators including Justice CK Prasad, retired judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Syed Rafat Alam, retired Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh and Allahabad High Courts and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Ashquie Hussain Bukhari, was approved and registered by the society. After that JKCA had sent copy of constitution to BCCI for the review.
The new constitution was prepared by the administrators and the CEO of JKCA on the directions of the J&K High Court, in line with the recommendations of the Lodha Committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India.
Recently BCCI informed JKCA that the new redrafted constitution has got approval and is in compliance with the Supreme Court guidelines.
“JKCA has been informed by BCCI CoA that the copy of the registered constitution of JKCA has been received by them and they have perused the registered constitution of the JKCA and found that all the draft amendments communicated to have been incorporated therein,” JKCA official said.
“After this, the JKCA is now fully compliant with the judgment dated August 9, 2018 passed by the Supreme Court,” JKCA official added.
As per new constitution there is no provision for club-based membership in the main body of JKCA. Instead, the new constitution has provided for equal rights to all the districts of the state.
It is now first time in the history of cricket body of the state that all the districts of the state will get equal representation. Since its inception in 1957 and its subsequent affiliation with the BCCI in the following year, the JKCA is club-based body with unequal representation of the districts.
Under the existing constitution, the cricket association has only 32 registered clubs enjoying voting rights which include seven clubs owned by the Government institutions. Except Srinagar, Jammu, Baramulla and Udhampur, no other district of the state has got any representation in the J&K cricket body.
Though its constitution has been registered by J&K Registrar of Societies and has received approval from BCCI, the Supreme Court recently appointed PS Narasimha as the amicus curiae for resolving various disputes related to cricket administration in the country. Supreme Court also restrained all other courts in India from entertaining any matter pertaining to BCCI and state cricket associations.
The appointment of amicus curie has given JKCA clubs another lifeline and they can now put their case in front of the PS Narasimha.
“We are aware about the development and have already filed petitions in J&K High Court as well as Supreme Court. The appointment of PS Narasimha as amicus curie is also good for us. We have no objection with district bodies and have raised questions on the eligibility of the working of JKCA CEO. We have also objected to sidelining the clubs because of whom the JKCA exists.” said a club owner.
“If today JKCA exists, it is because of the clubs. One can’t ignore or abolish the base of the structure on which the foundation is built. We will try to put our case in front of amicus curie and hope that he understands our point of view,” he added.