BCCI's New Travel and Allowance Policy-A Big Shift for Staff Across Departments

The Board of Control for Cricket in India recently introduced a big shift that is likely to impact its staff in a big way. The board has rewritten its travel and allowance policy for employees and this change is going to finally disburse the outstanding daily allowances that had not been disbursed since January. The streamlined new policy will provide greater clarity and consistency to the distribution of allowances and assist in settling dues which had been retained throughout the just concluded IPL and Women's Premier League seasons.

Previously under the earlier policy, the board granted various forms of allowances depending on the nature of work travel. For example if an employee was travelling for a short period of time like four days or less they used to receive a per diem of fifteen thousand rupees. For a longer travel often pertaining to IPL WPL or ICC tournaments the daily allowance was ten thousand rupees. On this there was also a standalone incidental allowance of seventy five hundred rupees given one time within the travelling period. But this led to confusion and discrepancies particularly when workers were working from the Mumbai headquarters but were still claiming travel allowances.

Now under the new system the BCCI has opted to pay a flat ten thousand rupees daily allowance to people on travel duty. The incidental part has been eliminated altogether. This new format will be simpler to handle and minimizes opportunities for errors or double claims. But the amount received by the employees will be less after deducting tax at source. As per an internal source after deducting the tax the actual amount of money the employees will receive on a daily basis is approximately sixty five hundred rupees.

This new policy also differentiates based on the extent of involvement during tournaments like the IPL. If an employee is completely engaged and travelling during the entire seventy-day IPL season they will be eligible for the complete allowance for the whole period which implies they can claim as much as seven lakh rupees. For occasional travelling of the player during the tournament, the sum will be adjusted and only sixty percent of the entire allowance will be given. Employees who do not travel at all during the event will also be able to claim forty percent of the amount and it makes it a little fair for everyone considering their contribution.

According to a board insider, there was a realization that a proper structure was required as employees were filing claims even if they were not out in the field. By bringing in a clear cut rule at this moment the ambiguity will be clarified and the payments that were pending for months can at last be made. Personnel from units like finance operations and media will start receiving what they are entitled to now that the new system has been formally approved.

Besides domestic travel, the policy for overseas travel has also been delineated more clearly. The employees of BCCI who are sent overseas on work-related assignments are eligible for a daily allowance of three hundred US dollars. However office-bearers in honorary posts like the president secretary treasurer vice president and joint secretary receive a much superior daily allowance of one thousand US dollars when they go abroad. Their work allowances within the country are also predetermined with a compensation of forty thousand rupees for a single-day meeting in India and thirty thousand rupees daily in case the visit is for more than one day.

The new update is not so much about saving money but rather about ensuring transparency and fairness. The previous method created discrepancies and unfairness in the manner allowances were being given. The board was struggling while clearing claims and required a uniform rule that could apply to all people in all the departments. Streamlining the policy that the BCCI is doing will help them prevent delay in payments in the future as well as ensure that there is no room for misinterpretation and misuse of funds.

The timing of this policy revision is also significant as the lag in payment of allowances had become a worry for staff. There were many who were not clear about when their dues for the IPL and WPL would be settled. With the new structure coming into place there is now relief and an expectation that payment will soon follow. It also indicates the board's attempt to professionalize its functioning and create a more responsible system for its internal staff.

Since years BCCI has developed as one of the strongest cricket boards across the globe and along with this status comes the onus to preserve effective and ethical mechanisms. Allowance and travel reimbursement management may appear to be a small matter in comparison to the blockbuster games and overseas tours the board manages but to those working behind the scenes it makes a huge difference. Whether it is a media manager who covers the whole of IPL season or a financial manager operating from the head office every employee should be treated with transparency and equity in their benefits.

By providing a simple daily allowance without any other elements and by establishing clear boundaries depending on involvement in travel the new policy is likely to decrease paperwork conflicts and delays. Workers are now clear about the amount they can claim and on what terms. This also simplifies budget handling and claim processing for the finance department.

Ultimately the new policy may not bring more money in total to employees through tax deductions and eliminating incidental benefits but it creates order and balance. It ends months of confusion and introduces a standard system of payment that all people can comprehend and adhere to. With these reforms the BCCI has made a positive move towards the simplification of internal procedures and ensuring that its employees are treated equally and paid in a timely manner for their dedication over the course of the cricket season.