Although it is natural for authorities or concerned agencies to investigate the income and expenses, Minister Tejulal Choudhary appointed Ranjana Pradhan, who is also the principal of his private school Nightingale, as a member of Rakhep and the coordinator of the investigation task force, an instruction was issued under Ranjana's signature to ”stop all preparations related to NPL”.
Nepal Premier League (NPL) has become such a sports festival, which has created excitement for sports lovers and opportunities for players in Nepal. Moreover, it has played an important role in raising awareness among common citizens towards federalism. One of the main reasons for this is that the eight competing teams are from all seven provinces. But the sports minister of the country, Tejulal Choudhary, is trying to extinguish the flame of enthusiasm.
The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) is preparing to make the second edition of the NPL grand after four months. Franchise teams are doing their homework to make the game more competitive from the experience of the first edition. But at this time, the National Sports Council chaired by the Sports Minister has issued instructions to stop the preparation of the NPL.
When there was an economic depression in the country, there was a fierce competition between the business houses to get the franchise. Nepal T-20 Pvt Ltd had made the highest 'bidding' of 35.7 million to own Pokhara. Can was able to raise 168.9 million from the 'bidding' of eight teams. In the franchise model tournament, every team has spent 6 to 10 million in one year.
In the first edition of NPL, more than 100 crores were traded from all sides. Its live broadcast was also done by the international channel "Star Sports". The NPL-1 winner was awarded 11 million and the runner-up was awarded 51 million.
Each team's marquee player was paid Rs 20 lakh. This is the biggest amount received by a Nepali athlete in domestic sports. Karnali Yaks have informed that Indian star Shikhar Dhawan has spent more than 1 crore while playing 4 matches. The audience is waiting for that festival. After the first edition was magnificent, its impact has been seen. The main thing is that it has given momentum to Nepali cricket,' says Paras Khadka, Secretary of CAN.
While Can is looking at a possible November-December project date for the second edition, the Sports Minister is trying to make the NPL controversial. After the end of NPL-1, a complaint was filed with the Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission regarding the transparency of CAN.
The authority had sent a letter with a complaint to the Ministry of Youth and Sports asking them to "take necessary action". The Ministry sent it to Rakhep for investigation. Earlier, Sports Minister Choudhary made the principal of his own private school, Nightingale, Ranjana Pradhan, a member of the committee. Ranjana has also been made the coordinator of the task force to investigate NPLs which is in correspondence with CAN.
According to CAN Secretary Paras, Rakhep has already corresponded 3 times regarding NPL. "When we started getting questions after questions in the answers we sent, there was a doubt that it was planned. But the letter that came four days ago made it difficult,' says Paras.
In the latest letter sent by Rakhep to CAN four days ago asking for assistance in the investigation, five points of explanation have been asked, including that they worked outside the public procurement regulations, that the tenders were not drawn up in a clear manner, etc.
In the matter of transparency of income and expenses, the authority or any concerned body should investigate, even if it is not otherwise, Rakhep has proceeded to stop the competition itself. The authority has also not sent any correspondence with the intention of stopping the competition. But in Rakhep's letter head signed by Pradhan, the coordinator of the task force, it is said to CAN, "It is also informed not to do/do anything related to NPL until the investigation work is completed."
It has been more than 6 months since the completion of NPL. In the meantime, Rakhep asked to form a committee and send various papers through correspondence. We have sent all the documents accordingly. But that committee of Rakhep was disbanded. The minister did that dissolution,'' he says, 'we sent information about the matter asked by the other committee as well as met its coordinator and gave an answer. He said to send all the minutes of the can, we verified and sent them.'' While the letter is on the letterhead. This letter was not issued by Rakhep but by the working group. We have also instructed the task force to work within its mandate and not to use the council's letterhead and not to do any work that raises questions about the council,'' said Rakhep in a statement issued on Tuesday. Thus Rakhep himself is ambiguous and confused.
Minister Chaudhary says that he does not know what the NPL dispute is. "But Rakhep's denial of the letter was discussed in the ministry for 2-4 hours on Wednesday. As Rakhep is also a body of the ministry, such a denial should not have been made," he says. He also argued that the Ministry should come to the Ministry through Can Rakhep to conduct the NPL tournament.
'There was a controversy even before the start of NPL last year. The member secretary may have organized by giving a single approval, the member secretary is only an employee, he has only come for four years. "Rakhep is a board, its chairman is a minister," argued the minister, "this time, no letter has come to organize the NPL." Can may have signed an agreement with the franchise for up to 10 years but we have to get approval every year.'
Minister Choudhary has now questioned the competition that started based on the decisions taken by Rakhep in the past. His focus is on the details of the expenses and the investigation of the authority, that he should receive a request for the competition and stop the competition.
On the other hand, the teams that brought players like Shikhar Dhawan, Martin Guptill, Jimmy Neesham, Ravi Bopara, Sohail Tanveer, Stephen Eskinazi, Scott Kugnell, Ben Cutting are doing their homework to bring more high profile players. Likewise, according to the first decision taken by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in late June last year after taking oath, the reconstruction of Kirtipur stadium is going on in full swing.
