Delhi cricket body yet to pay R4.5 crore in salaries to staff, coaches

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has not paid remuneration to its coaching and support staff to the tune of R4.5 crore, its joint secretary Rajan Manchanda and former India player, Kirti Azad, have told ombudsman Justice (retd) Deepak Verma.

Azad said while DDCA has been splurging money on legal matters, it has not paid its staff even after the season has ended. Documents with HT show that R1.63 crore has been paid to lawyers.

“During the past few months nearly R2 crore (R1.63 crore) has been paid in legal expenses alone. A sports body therefore will look like a legal body where cricketers and cricket will not occupy centre stage, but lawyers and legal matters will be the most critical piece,” Azad wrote to the ombudsman.

Manchanda said he has also written to the ombudsman. With the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer having quit for various reasons –suspension, resignation, legality of holding office challenged in court, etc.---he is the top official in DDCA.

“Despite me being the highest authority, I don’t know what my role is. The signatories (for cheques) have been changed and I have been excluded. I don’t know why the cheques have not been signed,” Manchanda said.

Suspended secretary Vinod Tihara, one of the signatories, could not be reached for comment.

DDCA currently has only R11 crore in its accounts. Since mid-November, when there was about R21 crore in its account, DDCA has spent about R4 crore on litigations and a contract given to a construction company that is subject to a forensic audit as ordered by the ombudsman, as reported by HT on Sunday.

Over 50 people await salaries, mainly coaching and support staff of the senior, junior and women’s teams. Delhi head coach KP Bhaskar, originally due to get R30 lakh and then saw his remuneration cut to R24 lakh, is yet to be paid.