Chairman of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) working committee Dhiren Palei on Tuesday confirmed that the OCA has received a communiqué from the BCCI seeking clarifications on certain financial discrepancies pointed out by the audit firm engaged by the BCCI.
“The BCCI communiqué reached us on Monday evening. Our chartered accountant is dealing with it now and I am sure we will be able to furnish our explanations to the BCCI queries within seven days,” Palei told this correspondent over telephone from Bhadrak.
According to reports, the recently released Deloitte audit report has found out financial irregularities and inconsistencies in about 12 BCCI-affiliated state cricket associations, including that of the OCA.
Quoting BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke about the audit report, Palei said OCA’s case is not about funds embezzlement or fraud. “Whatever discrepancies the report has said is about OCA’s agreement with Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) regarding the ownership of assets”, he said.
It may be mentioned that the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack is the property of the OOA. But all expansions of it have been made by the OCA utilising the funds it received from the BCCI. Odisha’s controversial sports administrator Asirbad Behera was heading both OOA and OCA for more than 15 years until he was removed from them last year, thanks to the intervention of the Supreme Court.