Assam Cricket Association takes tough stand against corruption

SPORTS REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has taken the stand of zero tolerance against corruption, and is ready to provide all help in the ongoing investigation against its former secretary Pradip Buragohain. Buragohain was sent to judicial custody today. He was arrested recently after a case was filed against him for alleged financial anomalies during his tenure in the ACA. The police are investigating the matter.

Talking to the media after the Special AGM ACA general secretary Devajit Saikia said, "The account verification committee in its report doubted huge financial irregularities during the tenure of Buragohain. We told Buragohain to refund the money but he didn't. So we had to file a case against him."

It may be mentioned here that after irregularities were noticed, the ACA formed a five-member accounts verification committee headed by veteran sports organizer Jamshed Khan. The account verification committee scrutinized the accounts to ascertain the allegations of misuse of funds by the former ACA committee. The committee doubted that crores of rupees were misused on the pretext of booking hotel rooms, air tickets, food, earth-filling, etc., during the tenure of Buragohain. There was also an allegation that he used ACA funds for personal reasons. Saikia added that the ACA has already taken a few steps to stop this type of anomalies in the future. "Details of expenditure over one lakh will now be uploaded on the official website of the association regularly," said the secretary.

Meanwhile, the Assam Cricket Association in its special AGM today decided to appoint former first-class cricketer Rajinder Singh as the chairman of the Cricket Academy Committee. The meeting also decided to start a new club – 91 Yards Club— in a bid to bring back the former cricketers and officials associated with the Assam Cricket Association to the thick of things and accordingly use their experience for the progress of the game in the State.

Saikia added, "The construction work of a new clubhouse building inside the ACA Stadium campus is now going on in full swing, and it will be ready within a very short time."

Meanwhile, ACA today gave affiliation to the newly constituted Majuli District Sports Association. The district can now put their team in ACA cricket meets.

It was also decided at the meeting to launch one corporate office league involving teams like NF Railway, Postal Department, AG, OIL, ONGC etc.

ACA president Ramen Dutta and other office-bearers were present at the press meet.

Also Read:  Ex-ACA secretary Pradip Buragohain arrested in Dibrugarh

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