Institutional clubs, in particular, have expressed anger over being left out despite their consistent role in promoting cricket across the state
Hyderabad: A storm is brewing within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) over the alleged selective disbursal of over Rs.10 crore, exposing internal rifts ahead of Sunday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and casting a shadow over the proposed mega cricket complex at Future City.
In a hastily convened emergency apex council meeting, HCA president A. Jaganmohan Rao authorised the release of Rs.5 lakh each to cricket clubs in two installments. In the first tranche, over Rs.4 crore was disbursed to 136 clubs at Rs.3 lakh each, with the second instalment of Rs.2 lakh promised upon submission of utilisation certificates.
The move has drawn sharp criticism, with questions raised over the exclusion of nearly 60 affiliated clubs. While HCA has close to 200 registered clubs, only 136 received funds—many of which were earlier barred by the Justice Nageswara Rao Committee for conflict of interest and had been stripped of financial aid and voting rights. This has sparked outrage among institutional clubs, which claimed that they had been unfairly excluded despite actively promoting cricket and holding equal rights within HCA.
Institutional clubs, in particular, have expressed anger over being left out despite their consistent role in promoting cricket across the state. “Over 40 institutional clubs have made significant contributions to the sport. This biased disbursal is unacceptable,” said P.L. Srinivas, a representative of one such club. He warned that the matter would be raised at the AGM, accusing the HCA leadership of blatant favouritism.
A senior official within the association condemned the release of funds without the secretary’s voucher clearance, calling it a violation of financial protocols. Critics also questioned how banks processed the large transfers without compliance with mandatory procedures.
Amid these financial controversies, a deeper power struggle is unfolding within the HCA. A faction led by Jaganmohan Rao appears to be undermining the ambitious plan to develop a sprawling cricket complex near Future City. The government had reportedly assured HCA of over 105 acres of land at a concessional rate of Rs.1 crore, following a joint inspection with state industrial development officials.
The vision includes developing state-of-the-art grounds for league matches, eliminating costly rentals for cricket grounds to conduct league matches and eventually constructing an international stadium comparable to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gandhinagar. With funds estimated at Rs.130 crore, a section of HCA is eager to proceed with this transformative project.
The project aims to build world-class league match grounds to eliminate the need for rented venues and eventually establish an international stadium on par with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gandhinagar. The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs.130 crore.
However, a faction, allegedly aligned with the previous government, seemed intent on stalling the development, sources said. By selectively distributing funds to secure loyalty and silence dissent ahead of the AGM, they aimed to consolidate power within HCA and derail the mega complex initiative. This faction is also under scrutiny for multiple irregularities, including questionable IPL ticket sales.
