BCCI to abide by Govt. decisions

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, OCT. 1. The newly elected president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, stressed the need to maintain ``good relationship'' with the Government of India and abide by its decisions taken from time to time.

Addressing his first press conference here after taking over the reigns of the most coveted and prestigious post in Indian cricket, Mr. Dalmiya reiterated that there would be an excellent co-ordination between the Board and the government for the development of the game.

``The Board will go along with the Union Government in matters concerning Indian team's participation in international tournaments. We are absolutely in the best of terms with the government,'' he said.

The new Board president also said that he would soon be meeting the Union Sports Minister, Ms. Uma Bharati.

Spreading cricket in North-Eastern India was one of the priorities of the president. Other than Assam and Tripura and now Sikkim, five of the seven States, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram, have no semblance of a cricket set up, though Meghalaya is supposed to be a part of Assam.

Mr. Dalmiya recalled his association with late Madhavrao Scindia and said in Mr. Scindia's untimely demise cricket had lost an able administrator. He was positive, thorough and active in thinking. ``I had a long relationship with him since 1991 and under his presidency the 1996 World Cup was allotted to India. I just cannot believe he is no more,'' Mr. Dalmiya said. Mr. Dalmiya will represent the Board in the funeral on Tuesday.

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