Yes, BCCI runs its own show and it doesn't depend upon government grants for funding. Without a doubt, BCCI, as the apex cricket body in this country, should retain its independence and autonomy as far as functional activities are concerned. It is also true that BCCI does market and monetise cricket well and it deserves credit for the same. But the fact is that BCCI's marketing and monetisation efforts lead to drawing its operational funding from people of this country - sometimes directly and mostly indirectly. BCCI also generates sponsorship funding from various business organisations in this country and abroad.
In fact, BCCI is a commercial sporting body. It is significantly run and funded - directly or indirectly, through people's money and government's help - be it match ticket/entry fees, government's tax exemptions at both Centre and State levels, free use of stadiums built on government land, advertisements and promotions in the stadiums during matches, and utilisation of free government services - like security during international/domestic matches, other local administrative help, etc. Use of DD/AIR airwaves (another public asset) for match telecast/broadcasts, satellite rights - thanks to people driven TRP ratings, etc. are some other indirect benefits that BCCI draws from the people and government. It would be impossible for BCCI and its affiliates to carry out their primary sporting activity i.e. organising matches, without the aforementioned help (involving use of public assets and costing taxpayer's money and time).
More importantly, BCCI's cricket team is recognised as the National cricket Team - irrespective of the format. By virtue of being the sole representative body for cricket in India and by virtue of representing India at the International Cricket Conference (ICC), it becomes obligatory upon BCCI to be accountable to the people and government of this country. Indian embassies and consulates around the world provide logistics support and help, as required, to BCCI's cricket team/s on tours abroad. Such eminent privileges, for sure, do bring responsibility and carry accountability towards the nation.
The fact that BCCI runs on people's money and government's help, clearly, there is a case for some regulation that makes BCCI accountable – at least for the financial side of its business. It must be transparent in the way it handles money received from the people and from domestic commercial public organisations. Secondly, BCCI also receives money from international organisations against sale of TV / promotional rights, IPL Team ownerships, various sponsorship related contracts and bids, etc. As a responsible national sports body, BCCI must be transparent and be accountable for the funds that go into its coffers from abroad. Any funding received from abroad without proper authentication and money trail could result in a serious breach of government regulations or a potential national security threat.
Moreover, when even small private autonomous NBFCs (leave aside banks) which directly collect money from the people for deposits, etc. are regulated by the government ( through RBI), why shouldn't BCCI's financial transactions be regulated under appropriate laws of this country. If a NBFC markets and monetises its products well and successfully collects deposits from the people, does this mean that it should not be held financially accountable and be unregulated under prevailing laws. Should the depositors and their interests be left unprotected at the hands of such successful NBFCs? If people are contributing from their pockets, they have a right to know what happened to their money, how and where their money got spent, who made the decisions about their money, was the expense justified or not, etc. Clearly, people's interests need to be protected.
It is difficult for people in this country to have a sense of assurance that everything is fine in BCCI. There is no way to find out whether BCCI is spending its money in a dutiful, appropriate and accountable way or not. There is very little transparency except that its final accounts are made public post-facto. Yes, BCCI does have an internal audit and it does file its Income Tax returns. However, BCCI, neither makes its audit reports public nor does it inform on actions taken against major violations or wrongful deviations unearthed during those audits. The general public perception is that there are too many things - hidden and under wraps today, within the secretive fiefdom named BCCI.
Today, people have no clue to questions like how and why BCCI spent a particular amount under an expense head; what was the justification behind a major financial decision; were the transactions (credit or debit)- especially the big ticket ones executed appropriately, lawfully and as per BCCI rules; whether procedural and process compliance - right from approvals to payments, strictly followed or not; whether due diligence was done especially in financial transactions like bids, auctions, awarding of contracts; was there any case of conflict of interest amongst the administrative office holders; were the rules subverted or manipulated in any way to favour any specific party or individual and who was the culprit; who amongst the BCCI folks were parties to any particular big ticket transaction that went wrong; and so on and so forth.
BCCI can run its operations independently but it must be financially accountable under the relevant laws of this country. What if, required oversight or appropriate control mechanism in a critical area of their financial system is absent; what if, a group or a powerful individual in BCCI is cooking up a big scam there; what if, somebody with active connivance of others within the system is swindling money; what if a powerful individual and his cronies are exploiting and manipulating the system without getting caught; etc. Is there a way to get clear answers to such questions under the existing BCCI framework. It is quite doubtful.
BCCI has had an unregulated run for long. It's time now that it is brought under some kind of effective financial regulation [and not functional) without impacting its independent functioning so that it truly acquires a national representative character, proper compliance is ensured and people's interests are well protected. Else, it should lose the status as India's only representative cricket body and its teams shouldn't be called as Team India.
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