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BCCI dismisses PCB’s claim of not honouring ‘contract’ to play Indo-Pak series
Kolkata, April 23 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday dismissed Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) claim of an alleged MoU between the two nations to play a bilateral series, saying only a “statement of intent was inked in April 2014.
“It was a statement of intent. I don’t blame them (PCB) for sticking to the letter. But it is not a contract,” BCCI’s Acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary told IANS on the sidelines of the five-day International Cricket Council (ICC) meet here.
Earlier in a letter, a copy which is in possession of IANS, dated April 9, 2014, the then secretary Sanjay Patel wrote to PCB chief Najam Sethi, saying: “Further to our meetings and discussions over the past few weeks regarding the bilateral tours between India and Pakistan, the BCCI and PCB hereby agree that the senior men’s cricket teams of India and Pakistan will play each other as per the schedule in the formats set out below.
“BCCI and PCB agree that the rights for the tour will be assigned to a fit and proper person and will be as detailed in the Master FTP agreement. The BCCI and PCB will enter into a long form FTP Agreement in respect of the above Future Tours.
It said that the BCCI and PCB acknowledge that the letter has arisen in the context of the resolutions which have been tabled at the ICC Executive Board meeting on February 8, 2014.
“It is related to a new financial model and governance structure for the ICC including the third in a series of six resolutions relating to all Full members entering into a series of agreements with one another providing for agreed FTP content between 2015-2023.
“And as such if those resolutions are not passed at the ICC Annual Conference in June, 2014 by directors nominated by Full Members of the ICC at that meeting and the representatives of Associate Members and the 4 ICC Zonal representatives, then this letter shall be of no effect.
“Please counter-sign this letter where indicated below to confirm your agreement to and acceptance of the terms of this letter.”
Earlier, PCB chief Sethi had slammed the BCCI for not incorporating the “permission from central government” clause in the alleged contract to play bilateral series.
“If India comes to Pakistan, they want security and vice-versa because of the political situation. But there is no security issue if we play in a third country, which is what we have been saying. We play our home games in the UAE,” Sethi had told reporters in an interaction on Monday.
“But apparently the BCCI is having difficulty in ensuring that they can do that. They say they don’t have government permission. Our position is that why should you require government permission? We don’t take government permission. The ICC does not want interference from the government in affairs of cricket boards,” he said.
“In any case, when you were signing the contract, if government permission was such a major issue, you should have put it in the contract, you did not. So what is the problem,” he asked.
As per the newly drafted Future Tours Programme (FTP), India have slots for Pakistan series, but it won’t happen till the clearance comes from the Indian government.
India and Pakistan haven’t played a bilateral series December 2012.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.