Rajesh Dhar
SRINAGAR, Sept 3: With sincere, devoted, knowledgeable and honest persons to be assigned all the important jobs of selectors and managers, the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), which has been in a trauma because of the alleged multi-crore scam that has surfaced in it from last over six months, will bounce back very soon. The monopoly of its affiliated clubs in connection with the selection of teams will not be tolerated anymore and the players will be picked up on the basis of their talent and merit, without any bias.
This was revealed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and President of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association in a freewheeling chat with Excelsior Sports Correspondent while responding to as to how JKCA would compose teams to represent the State in the prevailing atmosphere in JKCA.
Admitting that there have been some constitutional violations in JKCA in the past, Dr Farooq said that every decision now onwards will be taken within the parameters of JKCA Constitution to avoid criticism and preserving sanctity and spirit of the Association.
Referring to the embezzlement of funds in JKCA, Dr Abdullah said that the Association is making all out efforts to get the siphoned off money back, adding that the case in this regard is being dealt by the investigating authorities and the In-house Probe Committee has already submitted its preliminary report and the real culprits would be exposed very soon, to receive a harsh treatment.
“Our first and foremost aim is to get the siphoned off money back and utilize it in enhancing cricket activities in the State,” said JKCA chief.
While referring to the disputed clubs in the Association, whose cases stand subjudice, the JKCA president said that either the members of those clubs will have to come out with a compromise or sit out of the Working Committee meeting to be held at Srinagar on September 8.
“The club politics in JKCA has always been a stumbling block in enhancing the standard of cricket and cricketers in the State. The vested interests of the club members have marred cricketing talent in the State, rather destroyed the entire system in the JKCA,” said annoyed JKCA chief.
About the major issue as to who should be the signatories with regard to operation of funds in JKCA in absence of the general secretary, which lies vacant since the scam surfaced in it, Dr Farooq said that he will take the legal advice before taking any decision with regard to nomination of the signatories, adding that everything would be done within the limits of JKCA Constitution.
It is pertinent to mention here that as per the constitution of JKCA, two out of the three office bearers including chairman, general secretary and treasurer, can be the signatories of the Association in operating funds. And in JKCA, as per the precedence, it were the general secretary and the treasurer, who used to be the signatories. However, the vacuum created by the absence of general secretary, who had resigned after the multi-crore scam surfaced in the Association, has put it in dilemma.
For that matter, a wise step with regard to nomination of the signatories by the JKCA chief alongwith its Working Committee Members would serve as a launching pad to once gain put the Association on track.
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