No decision of withholding CAB funds in Finance Committee: Dasgupta

Kolkata, JulY 3 (UNI) The ongoing feud between the BCCI and CAB deepened when Finance Committee member Gautam Dasgupta today said ''no decision'' was taken by the committee regarding withholding fund of CAB as mentioned in Board Secretary Niranjan Shah's missive to the state affiliatee and the actions undertaken were ''motivated and vindictive''.

In a letter to the CAB, Board secretary Niranjan Shah had informed the state association that the Board would debit to the CAB Rs 40 crore its president Dalmiya failed to furnish details of the Account No 1223 with the Bhawanipur Branch of Indian Overseas Bank along with vouchers, bills, ledgers and audited balance-sheets despite a notice being served to him on April 15.

Shah said the Board had no option but to regretfully endorse the Finance Committee's decision to withhold all subsidies to the CAB and debit the unexplained amount of Rs 40 crores to the state association.

In a letter sent to Niranjan Shah today, Dasgupta, a former joint-secretary of the BCCI, said, '' My attention was drawn to a letter dated June 29 received by the Hony Joint Secretary, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) in which you have alleged that in the Finance Committee meeting of the Board held on April 28 at Mumbai, a decision was taken to stop all subsidies and payments to CAB till the transaction details of CAB with the Indian Overseas Bank. '' '' I had attended the meeting of the Finance Committee as one of its members and I am constrained to observe that no such decisions were taken, '' he said.

''The truth is that no such decisions were taken by the Finance Committee and it appears to be an after-thought and vindictive motivated plan on the part of a few, '' Dasgupta said in a strongly worded letter.

He further said the letter stated that the Finance Committee had decided to debit an amount of Rs 40 crore to CAB since its president Jagmohan Dalmiya had not furnished the details of the said Bank Account.

In response to that, Dasgupta said, '' While I reserve my rights to comment on the ostensible amount of Rs 40 crores, if any, I am at a loss to understand that if at all, such important decisions were taken as early as on April 28, why did it take the BCCI two months (June 29) to communicate such alleged vital decisions. '' Clause 32 (l) of the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI enumerates the powers of the Finance Committee and under such Rules, the Finance Committee has no powers to stop subsidies and payments to any Association or to debit any amount (more so, such a huge amount of Rs 40 crore) to any Association, he said mincing no words.

The fact that no such decisions were taken by the Finance Committee would also be borne out from the fact that there was no such agenda item in the Notice of meeting for such vital decisions, he said in his two-page letter to Mr Shah.

'' Furthermore, I am given to understand that you as the Hony.

Secretary of the Board had written to the BCCI Hony. Treasurer on May 10, 2006, sanctioning a payment of Rs 6,84,000 to CAB towards match fee and subsidy for Ranji Trophy one day league and knockout matches. You had also written to the BCCI Hony Treasurer on June 13, 2006 sanctioning a payment of Rs 80,000 to CAB towards participation subsidy for Prof D B Deodhar Trophy matches in 2005-06, '' he added.

He further questioned the Finance Committee's action when it had decided to stop all subsidies and payments to CAB as early as on April 28 as alleged, on how could Mr Shah sanction the above payment on May 10 and June 13.

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