BCCI in a quandary over Annual General Meeting

The BCCI’s annual general meeting (AGM) is a virtual non-starter in so far as fulfilling its constitutional obligation is concerned. As per the BCCI’s revised rules and regulations, “the AGM of the Board shall be held every year, not later than 30th September at such place and time as the president may fix.’’

Hoping for some relief from the Supreme Court for the sidelined BCCI president N. Srinivasan in the matter related to the Mudgal Committee report on IPL malpractices, the BCCI delayed convening the crucial working committee meeting to adopt the sub-committee reports.

Now with the Supreme Court not allowing Srinivasan to function as president, the BCCI will be compelled to put off the AGM to a date as per the decision of the working committee meeting to be convened in the near-term.

It would be interesting to see how far his supporters back him on his keenness to contest for the post of president for a three-year term.

BCCI officials closely involved with the ‘working committee meeting and AGM’ said that the president’s signature is mandatory on important documents such as the income and expenditure account and the annual balance sheet for fiscal 2014, which is April 13-March 14.

Elected president at the AGM of September 2013, Srinivasan stepped aside and made way for senior vice-president N. Shivlal Yadav to discharge duties of the BCCI president in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court on March 28.

The apex court had then said that Srinivasan cannot function as BCCI president till the duration of the probe, which has now been extended by two months.

After Srinivasan ceased to function as president, there appears to be a virtual breakdown in the BCCI administration, with only two working committee meetings taking place; both convened to take decisions on IPL related matters. The BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has been running the show in consultation with other office-bearers.

The BCCI rules and regulations say that, “The president shall preside at the Annual General Meeting or the Special General Meeting of the Board and in his absence one of the vice-presidents elected at the meeting shall preside. In the event of all the vice-presidents being absent, the meeting shall elect one among themselves as the Chairman of the Meeting.’’

The priority would be to convene the Finance Committee meeting in order to approve the final audited accounts for 2013-14.

Thereafter the working committee has to adopt all sub-committee reports after which the secretary issues a 21-day notice for the AGM with a specific agenda. Some of them are confirmation of the minutes of the previous General Meetings, adoption of the report of the honorary secretaries for the year under review, adoption of the treasurer’s report and the audited accounts for the year under review, adoption of the annual budget and election of office-bearers and vice-presidents, one from each zone.