The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government has constituted a two-member committee to probe the allegations of massive corruption former India cricket captain Bishan Singh Bedi has made against the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
“The chief minister has formed a two-member committee, led by secretary, Urban Development (Delhi), to look into the points raised by Bedi,” a Delhi government source told Jantakareporter.com
Bedi, along with a few other former cricketers, had met Kejriwal a few days and requested him to take steps to cleanse the DDCA of financial and cricketing corruption that has been plaguing the parent cricket body of the national capital.
Bedi, president of the NCT Cricket association, a body of former cricketers and fans, was scheduled to address a press conference on Thursday afternoon on the same issue.
“After years of struggle, our association has been able to pin DDCA and many of its corrupt office bearers for various acts of corruption and financial irregularities. You have been following the events unfold in the sordid saga of DDCA’s loot and mismanagement,” Bedi said.
“With the scheduled Test match (between India and South Africa staring on 3 December) becoming almost an impossibility, the NCT Cricket Association wishes to apprise the press about the serious problems which will not permit the Delhi Government to agree to the holding of the Test match in Delhi,” he said, probably referring to what Kejriwal told him.
The Delhi entertainment department has slapped a Rs 24 crore tax/penalty on the DDCA. The DDCA needs to pay this amount to host the Test match, but it reportedly only has Rs 13,000 in hand.
“Further, the latest developments in DDCA where a sham balance sheet [2013-14] has been signed by 17 directors under duress to enable DDCA to get subvention money from BCCI will be brought out by us. Rs 1.55 crore of round tripping by the DDCA president SP Bansal and several crores worth of fake bills with fake addresses will also be released by us. Papers relating to the CBI inquiry and all reports indicting DDCA and its office bearers will also be made available to you,” Bedi said.
Meanwhile, as reported by www.jantakareporter.com on Wednesday, sources in Kejriwal’s office said the chief minister seems to be in “no hurry to grant audience to DDCA officials” who have sought appointment to seek concessions in tax demand so that they could stage the Test match. The BCCI has set 17 November as the deadline for the DDCA to inform it whetehr it can stage the match, even as it has asked the Maharashtra Cricket Association to be on standby to host the Test in Pune, if need be.
However, the DDCA officials remain hopeful.
