Salaries of 120 employees on hold as DDCA faces financial crunch

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is facing a huge financial crunch. The financial position is currently very slim with expenses mounting over the amount they have in their bank accounts. As stated by Cricbuzz, the DDCA has only Rs. 46 lakh in two bank accounts and have pending payments worth Rs 49 lakh. The situation is so worse that the salaries of 120 employees is been put on hold. Also, they are most likely to struggle to bear the expenses of the Delhi team if they qualify for the Ranji Trophy knockout stage.

“The association does not have money to pay the salaries of its employees. Even the DDCA league isn’t happening anytime soon. I don’t know how we will pay the housekeeping, security and the accounts department staff, which have all been outsourced. We are not getting any help from the board (BCCI) because of the Supreme Court order. It’s a very grave situation,” a concerned DDCA treasurer Ravindra Manchanda told TOI on Monday (December 19).

With constant threats from different suppliers and vendors, DDCA doesn’t know how the association will run in the month of January next year. Instructions have been given not to overshoot the budget and keep a balance of at least Rs 15 lakh for the time being.

In view of a stay order from the Delhi High Court, DDCA’s AGM has also not been held for more than three years.

“The AGM has to approve the balance sheet, which hasn’t happened for more than three years. We also have to submit the accounts to the Registrar of Companies after the AGM happens. But DDCA right now needs money to sustain itself. We are waiting for further court orders,” Manchanda added.

Until and unless the balance sheets get approved it can’t be submitted to the BCCI and technically the apex Indian board cannot release funds till DDCA submits its accounts. Last month, DDCA had approached the board for a payment of Rs 3 crore for hosting the India-New Zealand ODI match at the Kotla and staging a practice game involving the visiting New Zealand team and the defending champions Mumbai. But board secretary Ajay Shirke wrote back to DDCA saying BCCI cannot make payments.

“The Supreme Court has refrained BCCI from making any disbursement of funds for any purpose whatsoever to any state association,” Shirke wrote in a letter to DDCA.