Less than a month before its Annual General Meeting, the Cricket Association of Bengal has become a divided house after the balance sheet revealed a deficit of Rs 3.70 crore, a first in 10 years.

CAB is headed by Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was also elected BCCI president earlier in the year.

Senior finance sub-committee member Hironmoy Chatterjee, who incidentally, is also an All India Tennis Association official and BTA secretary, claimed that CAB has spent lavishly on the 121 affiliated unit members; they were gifted tablets while transport costs ran to the tune of Rs 4 crore. 

"I have raised this issue because I feel it is relevant, and I'm aware that this is going to hurt a lot of people's interest but I don't care," Chatterjee told PTI.

"There has been some non-cricket related expenses that could have been avoided. All CAB members use transport which is not fair. About Rs 3 crore have been spent on transport."

"We have a season that lasts about three to four months a year and some international matches. CAB could have avoided such splurging on transport."

He further pointed out that all CAB affiliated members were given tablets and gifts in the last AGM.

"Is this for the development of cricket?" Chatterjee fumed.

He further claimed the CAB had spent Rs 4 crore on stadium maintenance and Rs 2 crore on refreshments in various programmes.

"No doubt, the BCCI grant has been less this time as it's proportionate to their income which has led to the deficit. But the loss could have been less if they did not spend so lavishly," Chatterjee added, pointing out the CAB's spending on parties and the 150 years' celebration.

Incidentally in the last financial year, there was a surplus of Rs 14 crore.

As a matter of fact, the CAB had made headlines when to make Sachin Tendulkar's 199th and penultimate Test memorable, they had booked a private aircraft to shower 199kg rose petals, which eventually was cancelled as the match finished early.

The CAB also had invited many high profile guests during their three-day celebrations of 150 years.

Incidentally, the giant Eden floodlights still display the celebration sign. There was a grand felicitation programme to honour the 1989-90 Ranji winning team that preceded Dalmiya's felicitation for returning to BCCI president.

Rubbishing Chatterjee's claims, CAB joint secretary Subir Ganguly said: "These are all baseless, the spending on transport and stadium maintenance is much lesser than what he has alleged. In fact, Chatterjee never shows up here, so he has little knowledge."

PTI