BCCI to draw line on Ombudsman’s jurisdiction over state-level matters | Exclusive

BCCI office bearers at the 95th Annual General Meeting

BENGALURU: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce a policy defining the scope of the Ombudsman and preventing its office from entertaining complaints concerning local or state-level matters, the TimesofIndia.com has learnt.The move is understood to aim at drawing a clearer line between issues that fall within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and those that the respective state associations should address first. The move came after several members, including representatives of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), Baroda Cricket Association (BCA), Punjab Cricket Association and Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), raised strong objections during the BCCI's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai last week to the Ombudsman entertaining complaints related to local state matters.

The members argued that such complaints lead to additional legal costs for the state associations and maintained that local grievance-redressal mechanisms should be exhausted before an issue is taken to the BCCI Ombudsman. They also questioned the Ombudsman's jurisdiction over matters that are primarily related to the functioning of individual state associations.

Under the new framework, the Ombudsman will be provided with clear terms of reference governing the complaints it can entertain, particularly those relating to state associations.

"The BCCI will frame a policy that will curb the Ombudsman's interference in state-level matters. The board has decided to provide the Ombudsman with clear terms of reference when it comes to entertaining complaints related to state associations," an administrator who was part of the AGM told TimesofIndia.com.