Proposed amendments to KSCA laws progressive: Brijesh

Bangalore, Oct 27 (UNI) The proposed amendments to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) rules, which has raked up a controversy, were being made to bring in discipline among the office bearers and was only in the interest of cricket, Association Secretary Brijesh Patel claimed today.

Speaking to newspersons here, he said the questions raised by the scion of the erstwhile Mysore royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, who had pitched in to contest for the Secretary's post next year, were unfounded and the present set of office bearers were acting in a democratic way in the interest of the game in the State.

''We will table the amendments in tomorrow's Special Annual General Body Meeting. It will be passed only if there was 100 per cent support to it, eventhough according to the rule support of three fourths of the members was enough. It only says that anyone who want to become an office bearer should have prior experience of serving in the committee. What is wrong in this,'' he asked.

The amendment brought to Rule 16 of the KSCA rules imposed conditions for becoming office bearers of KSCA by stipulating that to contest for the posts of Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-President, one must have served a term in the Committee, while for the post of President, the contestant should have been an office bearer of the Association for at least one term.

Mr Wadiyar contended that the amendments were undemocratic and everyone should be permitted to contest elections for any post. The present regime had no authority to change the rules and it would have far reaching implications.

Mr Patel said no one had been stalled from contesting in the elections. The amendments would come into force only in 2010. It amounted to present office bearers putting shackles on themselves.

Under the present rules, a Secretary could remain in his post throughout his life, he added.

''Some people have already 'padded up' for next year's elections.

These bylaws are only prospective and not retrospective. As alleged, we are not stopping any cricketer from becoming the office bearer of the Association,'' he said.

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