Rs 35 lakh billed for bananas, Rs 100 daily allowance for players – Corruption in Uttarakhand cricket comes to light
The plight of Uttarakhand cricketers on the field against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal this week is not too different from the adversities they have had to overcome off it, as reports emerge of a major corruption scandal within the state’s cricket association.
The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU), which was formally integrated into the senior domestic set-up 4 years ago, is the hub of a major mess of finances and improper handling of players while they strived to find their feet against the more established, resourced Ranji sides.
A report in ‘News 9 sports’ unveiled the corruption scandal that CAU has been banking, with lakhs of bills claimed on insufficient things in their annual balance sheets provided to the BCCI at a time when the players are being paid a measly INR 100 rupees worth of daily allowances. Yes, 100 rupees.
“Officially, the DA for each Uttarakhand senior cricketer is Rs 1,500 and this is known to drop to Rs 1,000 and rise to Rs 2,000. The reality, however, is that for the last 12 months the cricketers have, on average, been given a paltry Rs 100 per day,” the report states.
As of April 2022, the data published by the Uttarakhand state government says an unskilled labourer in the hill area is paid an amount of Rs 800 in daily wages. Even an unskilled labourer gets paid more than Uttarakhand’s professional cricketers while they take on a side like Mumbai in a knock-out encounter of country’s premier domestic first-class competition.
Uttarakhand cricket reeling with financial and moral corruption against players
News 9 sports obtained copy of an audit report published by CAU for the financial year ending March 31, 2021, which revealed a few shocking expenditures given the state of income provided to the players.
The CAU has claimed expenses in lakhs on food and caterings, including bananas worth INR 35 lakhs and water bottles of 22 lakhs, when a professional, first XI Uttarakhand cricketer is receiving 100 rupees in daily allowances. Eight times less than an unskilled labourer of the state and 15 times less than the amount he is actually due.
“Under the sub-heading ‘Tournament & Trial Camp Expenses,’ the CAU has claimed expenses of Rs 1,74,07,346 for food and catering and Rs 49,58,750 for daily allowances. Even more shockingly, there are expenses worth Rs 35 lakh for bananas and water bottles worth Rs 22 lakh. And players get Rs 100 per day as allowance,” the report stated.
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And this is still only the tip of the ice burg, for the Uttarakhand’s state association continues to face questions from all corners for selection rigging, age frauding, management crises, misappropriation of money that comes from the BCCI and improper investment of the same into grassroots cricket.
If players are being made to do with 100 rupees allowances, and the association is claiming bills in lakhs on food and catering, where is all the money going? And why is BCCI, supposedly the top watchdog of matters, not acting strictly upon the complaints made to it against the association by the local cricketers?
