Bhubaneswar: In what could come as a shocking revelation to cricket lovers in the State, the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) has ‘spent’ about Rs 30 lakh in Holi and New Year bashes in the past few years. This is what the premier cricket institution has informed in written to an audit firm, as reported by a national daily.
According to reports, the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) had asked global consultant firm Deloitte to make a comprehensive report on the financial irregularities made by BCCI affiliated associations like Hyderabad, Goa, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Assam.
The audit report, as mentioned by a national daily said, OCA has failed to properly account over Rs 475 crore. It said, in 2014-15, major repair work of Barabati Stadium was carried out at a cost of Rs 3.27 crore by one Sanjay Mishra, despite the budget being only Rs 30 lakh. The Rs 50 crore infrastructure subsidy the OCA received from BCCI was clubbed with its corpus fund, which is against the norm. And the OCA built around 100 flats at a cost of Rs 14.81 crore and gave them to its staff for free.
OCA also granted life membership of its club at huge discounts to ‘outside parties’, incurring losses of Rs 2.38 crore in the last three years, the report stated.
Based on the report, the BCCI has sought an explanation on OCA’s expenses in past three years.
“Our Accounts department is working on this and we will comply with the BCCI guideline within a week,” said Dhiren Palei, an office bearer of OCA.
Astonishingly, Asirbad Behera, who served OCA secretary for 16 years, has also been general secretary of the Odisha Olympic Association (OOA), and both organisations are housed at Cuttack stadium. The OCA has entered into a lease agreement with the OOA—a clear conflict of interest—to use the stadium, the report said.
Deloitte’s audit report already seems to have had some impact. While Hyderabad and Goa have given written undertakings to the BCCI, saying they would implement reforms, some are yet to respond.