Lodha panel report: SC upholds recommendations; bars ministers, 70-plus members from holding BCCI posts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday accepted most of the recommendations suggested by the Lodha panel for administrative changes in functioning of the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI).

The apex court approved most of the recommendations and has given a time period of six months to BCCI to implement all the changes.

Here are some of the major recommendations upheld by the SC:

1) SC accepted Lodha Panel's recommendation that Ministers and IAS officers are disqualified from being a member of the BCCI.

2) SC accepted recommendation to have CAG nominee in BCCI and that office bearers in BCCI should not be beyond the age of 70 years.

3) Supreme Court also upheld 'one state, one vote' concept. States like Maharashtra and Gujarat having more than one cricket association will have voting rights on rotational basis.

4) SC accepted Lodha panel's recommendation that there should be a player's association in the BCCI.

5) SC also accepted recommendation that one person should hold one post in cricket administration to avoid any conflict of interest.

6) SC left it to Parliament to decide whether BCCI functioning can be brought under RTI as recommended by Lodha Panel.

7) SC also left it to Parliament to decide recommendation of Lodha panel for legalising betting in cricket.

Earlier on June 30, appearing for the BCCI, senior counsel KK Venugopal said that while the board is seriously considering some of the Lodha panel recommendations, it had already implemented those such as the appointment of a CEO and a chief financial officer.

However, ever since the sweeping reforms were proposed, BCCI have raised objections to several recommendations including: advertisements between overs during a match broadcast, 'one state, one vote', the presence of two members from IPL franchises on the league's governing council, the formation of an apex council, and a cap on the tenure of the office bearers.

The committee headed by justice (retd) RM Lodha was appointed by the apex court last year in the wake of a sport-fixing scandal in IPL, the biggest crisis to hit the cash-rich sports body in the country.

The Lodha Committee had suggested a slew of recommendation to revamp the organisation, which included a one-state-one-vote policy, legalising of betting, banning of advertisements in between overs during cricket telecast, age-limit for BCCI office-bearers, bringing BCCI under RTI and ban of politicians and bureaucrats from the BCCI hierarchy.