DDCA prioritises legal dues as coaches and support staff members await paycheck
The DDCA is yet to pay around Rs 4.6 crore of over 50 personnel which includes coaches and support staff of various teams of the region. In the meantime the board has paid over Rs 1.6 crore to the lawyers who have been representing members of the body pitted against each other in legal matters.
The Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has dragged itself into trouble after the information that paycheck of around 50 coaches and support staff of various teams of the region (senior, age group, and women) is due. In the meantime, the board is found to have cleared the over Rs 1.6 crore legal fees of lawyers.
Those awaiting payments includes senior Delhi team coaches like Bhaskar Pillay and Rajkumar Sharma (Virat Kohli's childhood coach) and the amount due is worth over Rs 4.6 crore. DDCA joint secretary Rajan Manchanda confirmed the same and informed that only acting president Rakesh Bansal and secretary Vinod Tihara could answer why the personnel’s paycheck isn’t clear yet.
“The BCCI has paid us our grant. Rs 11 crore is there in DDCA coffers. I don't know why none of the coaches, physios, masseurs have been paid. COVID-19 lockdown has just started but these payments have been pending for a long time," joint secretary told TOI.
"I am one of the authorised signatories. But you need to ask the secretary and acting president, what is happening. I don't know my role," he added.
According to a TOI report, a senior DDCA official shared that the legal fees which were given priority over the payment of coaches and support staff was tendered to the lawyers representing board members in legal disputes against each other. The highest payment was received by Ombudsman Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma Rs 37.62 lakh.
"Suppose Member A has filed a case against Member B, both are entitled to raise an invoice of their legal expenses which will be borne by the DDCA. So DDCA pays for all the lawyers who are fighting cases where members are pitted against each other," the office-bearer said.