Govt. servants, ministers should be banned from holding BCCI posts, it says

Urging lawmakers to legalise betting in cricket for all except cricket players, officials and administrators, the Supreme Court-appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Committee report said on Monday that government servants and ministers should be banned from holding posts in the BCCI.

The committee commended the “good work” done by the BCCI, including a pension scheme for national players. Justice Lodha, along with Justices Ashok Bhan and R.V. Raveendran, said their objective handed down by the apex court was not to limit the autonomy of the BCCI.

“Our call was not restrict or limit the BCCI and its good work. But our year-long effort was to remove the ailing parts, revitalise the body so that it could run a marathon for the betterment of the game,” Justice Lodha said at a press conference here.

Taking a realistic stand on betting, the very cause for the court setting up the panel, Justice Lodha said betting was a $ 400 billion phenomenon practised worldwide and lawmakers in India should enact laws to legalise it.