COA backs selectors to make their decision independently

COA backs selectors to make their decision independently

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The selection committee has found support form the Committee of Administrators, who back them to make independent judgements. With petition going on to include BCCI under the RTI act, fears have emerged within the board that selectors’ decisions in picking teams might get influenced by that.

There was a petition filed by an independent person in the Supreme Court that BCCI must be brought under the RTI act and this could influence the working of the board massively. After the board came under the control of the CoA, the BCCI has already undergone massive structural changes in the recent past. If the board does come under the RTI act, then, the fears are that the selectors might be made accountable to the public, which could affect their decision making in a big way.

CoA, however, isn’t opposed to the idea of BCCI coming under the RTI act but feels that there should be some control over the information being provided to the public.

“Selection meetings are not minuted and there are no records of who said what in the meetings,” a source close to CoA told TOI. 

The TOI reports mention that the example of foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon was discussed in the BCCI boardrooms. A lot of people were against the decision of him becoming foreign secretary, who was promoted to the post after superseding 16 IFS officers. The matter was even taken up to the Supreme Court, which came up with the verdict that it was government’s discretion to pick its secretary. 

Earlier, CoA chief Vinod Rai also held the post of chairman of the Banks Boards Bureau and he was responsible for selection CEOs and recommending the selections of chiefs of government-owned banks and financial institutions.

“During his tenure, no RTI was filed and the public knew the process that helped to build trust,” a close source pointed out to TOI.  

Some of the board members have repeatedly expressed their concerns over the public money being used in the board, which is being cited as the main reason for pushing BCCI under the RTI ambit.

Sources close to CoA said, “The corporates can’t be under RTI because it’s private money. When BCCI has been given tax benefits, lands at cheaper rates and other benefits from the government, why can’t it be answerable to the public?”

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