1 week Ago
Vadodara: It was a surprise for many ordinary members of the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) when they learnt that their annual fees had been paid. For the first time in the BCA's history, the fees of over 900 ordinary members were paid by two different factions of the association. Some days ago, the group led by Dr Darshan Banker paid the fees for some 150 members.
BCA president Pranav Amin's office then paid the fees for the other ordinary members. This is seen as a plan to woo voters as the BCA elections are due this year. Amin said that the election wasn't the reason for paying the fees of the ordinary members.
"It was more of a gesture for the convenience of BCA members. Many are senior citizens and we didn't want them to travel all the way to the BCA office in the heat. So my office paid their fees," Amin told TOI.
Banker said, "One of the members of our group pays the fees of many BCA members every year. This time, he approached me and said that he will pay the fees under the name of my group. I was ok with it.
But it's got nothing to do with the elections." The annual fee for an ordinary member is just Rs 50, which they have to pay every year before their membership expires. Apart from the ordinary members, the BCA has lifetime members and patron members.
Each member votes individually for the office-bearer's posts, apex council members and the committees of the BCA. However, not all the members were happy at the gesture. Sources in the BCA said that one member, Kunjesh Gupte, objected and insisted that he pay his own fees.
Gupte, an ordinary member, on Thursday paid the fees for himself and 19 of his family members at the BCA office. Another member, Kishor Korde, also paid the fees for himself and his family members. "I didn't want an obligation from anyone.
I wanted to pay my own fees. I would say that the association should convert all ordinary members into life members. Why should we travel all the way to the BCA office every year to pay a meagre Rs 50?" Korde asked.
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