The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), one of the oldest cricket body in India, is all set to introduce a pension scheme for former Ranji Trophy players of the region.
“The modalities of the pension scheme will be worked out shortly by an empowered executive committee and the cut off date has been fixed as March 31, 2004,” VCA president Sudhir Dabir told PTI here.
The proposal to introduce the scheme was approved at the annual general body meeting of VCA held recently. Asked about the number of players eligible for the scheme, Dabir said there were about 268 former Ranji players who had represented Vidarbha in various zonal and national level tournaments but looking at the criteria and the cut off date, the actual figure eligible for pension would be 94.
“As per the plan, we are involving all those senior members of the VCA who came forward with the proposal in the process to finalise the modalities of pension scheme,” he said adding, it should be finalised within two months.
“However, a section of players who had initially played for Vidarbha and later moved to Indian railways will be excluded from the pension scheme,” the association’s media in charge Rajan Nair, who is also a former Ranji all-rounder and currently in the BCCI media committee, said.
The VCA was contemplating to extend the pension of Rs 5,000 per month to each former Ranji player and approximately would bear a financial burden of Rs 50 lakh per annum, the association sources said.
Similarly, those players who are already drawing pension from the BCCI will not be eligible for VCA pension scheme as they are receiving an amount of Rs 10,000 per month, they added.