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Integrity of financial management in sports associations is crucial for maintaining trust and transparency. But, alas, that seems to be the last thing on the minds of officials that head sports bodies in the country. The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) officials seem to be yet again embroiled in another unsavoury incident, as reported on this blog on Monday.
It is alleged that the officials, after the untimely demise of the signatory treasurer, had withdrawn funds from their HDFC Bank account without proper authorization.
Aditya Verma, who is a petitioner in a Civil Appeal case before the Supreme Court and has been waging a lone battle to bring in transparency in the BCCI and state cricket associations, on Tuesday dashed off a letter to the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman seeking her intervention in the matter.
Verma alleged that BCA president Rakesh Kumar Tiwary had withdrawn funds from the BCA bank account which ‘rises serious concerns regarding the integrity and transparency of financial transactions within the association’.
“It has come to our notice that certain officials of the BCA have allegedly withdrawn substantial amounts from the bank account without authorization or adherence to due process. The treasurer, who was the sole signatory of the account along with the secretary, passed away on 24.06.2024 and any financial transactions conducted posthumously without appropriate authorization are highly irregular and potentially illegal,” Verma wrote in his letter.
He also said the BCCI was made aware of financial irregularities in the BCA in May. “The Assistant Inspector General of Registration Department, Government of Bihar, has already written a reminder on 14.05.2024 to the president of BCCI for suitable action against financial irregularities of BCA in connivance with the HDFC Bank Ltd.”
Verma requested the finance minister to initiate a thorough investigation into the matter. He called for a detailed audit of all transactions made from the BCA’s HDFC bank account, examination of the procedures and protocols followed by the BCA for authorizing withdrawal of funds, identification of officials involved in the unauthorized withdrawals & holding them accountable for any financial discrepancies or misconduct and recommendations for strengthening the financial oversight mechanisms to prevent such incidents in the future.
“An immediate and impartial investigation will not only bring the guilty parties to justice but will also restore faith in the governance of sports associations,” pleaded Verma in the letter.
