PANJIM: The elections of the Goa Cricket Association which was scheduled on June 28 came to a standstill after the District and Sessions Court, Panjim refrained N.D. Agarwal to officiate as the chairman of the Election Committee, on Saturday.
Moreover, Chetan Desai was reinstated as the secretary of GCA by its President Dr Shekhar Salkar for the second time in this week.
The GCA Managing Committee was scheduled to meet at the headquarters, in Porvorim, at 3 p.m to decide the removal or non removal of Desai from the post of secretary. However, 15 minutes prior to the meeting, Dr Salkar intimated the members about the postponement. The court had deputed their Adv. John Lobo as the observer for the Managing Committee meeting and he has taken the minutes of the meeting to give a detailed report.
“The monthly meeting of the Managing Committee of GCA is postponed due to apprehensions expressed by members of their safety and wellbeing in view of incidents which took place during the press conference held on June 17,” informed Dr Salkar to the members through GCA’s official e-mail.
In his next correspondence Dr Salkar mentioned, “As per the powers vested in me by Memorandum and Rules and Regulation of Goa Cricket Association Under Rule 7 (c) (1) (c) as President of Goa Cricket Association, I reinstate Chetan Desai as secretary of the association with immediate effect.”
“I also appoint Sudin Kamat as first joint secretary,” he stated.
Over 70 clubs’ representatives gathered in support of Desai and his faction. The clubs had filed a case with regards to forgery committed by Dr Salkar in the proxy nominations and the hearing is slated for June 22, Monday.
“Sudin has functioned illegally. With the GCA matter now in court, fresh election process and dates are likely to be announced. Their main agenda of today’s meeting was to show two-third majority and throw me out in which they did not succeed. Dr Salkar is not capable of handling the administration of the GCA,” rebuked Desai, who is the front runner for the post of GCA president.
The Desai faction have certainly gained in power with support of over 70 clubs and are confident of winning the elections if held in a correct manner. Desai claims to have the backing of 14 to 16 clubs from Bardez, 10 clubs from Vasco, six clubs from Sanquelim and all clubs from Panjim.
The chairman of the BCCI Marketing Committee has also filed a writ petition to allow only the clubs’ president or secretary to vote.
“The clubs are the strength of the GCA and we have never ignored them. I am disturbed with the ongoing imbroglio in the GCA. They (Dr Salkar and group) have changed record of all the clubs files and tried to rig the elections. The GCA office was closed today (Saturday) with no staff. Dr Salkar also scrapped the under-14 and 16 Residential Academy this year which exploits him more,” stated Vinod Phadke, former GCA president, who will also contest for the elections.
The clubs and their representatives were totally unhappy in the past weeks following the rift in the GCA but now hope for a fair election. They claim their proxy nominations were changed without their knowledge by the current president.
“All the clubs from Vasco are dejected with the current situation of the GCA. Dr Salkar has changed the nomination of our club and there are many loopholes,” voiced Yeshpal Negi, secretary of Hill Top Cricket Club.
The president of 48-year-old Mahalaxmi Cricket Club Shrikrishna Tari also voiced similar opinion and said, “After running the club since 1967, I get to know that Sudin Kamat as the proxy voter from our club which was very shocking. I hardly even know him.”
The other club representatives were disheartened by the unfair treatment given to them by Dr Salkar, who had gone to such an extent that saw him strike out 40 clubs from voting, out of the total 107.
