New Delhi, Oct 1: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is covered under the RTI Act and answerable to the people of the country under its mechanism, the Central Information Commission ruled today.
The commission, the top appellate body in RTI matters, went through the law, orders of the Supreme Court, the Law Commission of India report, submissions of the Central Public Information Officer in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to conclude that the status, nature and functional characteristics of the BCCI fulfil required conditions of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
Section 2(h) of the Act defines criteria under which a body can be declared as public authority under the RTI Act.
“The SC has also reaffirmed that the BCCI is the ‘approved’ national-level body holding virtually monopoly rights to organize cricketing events in the country,” Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in a 37-page long order.
He directed the president, secretary and Committee of Administrators to designate deserving officers as central public information officers, central assistant public information officers and first appellate authorities as required under the law.
Acharyulu also directed the BCCI to put in place, within 15 days, online and offline mechanisms to receive applications for information under the RTI Act.
The matter came up before him as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports did not give a satisfactory response to an RTI applicant, Geeta Rani, who had sought to know the provisions and guidelines under which the BCCI has been representing India and selecting players for the national team.
Through the 12-pointer RTI application, she also asked whether the players selected by the BCCI are playing for India or for the association, how can a private body represent the country internationally, how’s the government benefiting from giving rights and authority to the BCCI to represent the country in international tournaments among others.
The ministry claimed it has no information available and the plea could not be transferred to the BCCI as the cricket board has not been declared a public authority under the RTI Act.
The BCCI Monday sought more time for submission but Acharyulu rejected the demand, saying the cricketing body, having received notices from the CIC, neither appeared on dates of hearing nor gave any written submission.
“The BCCI should be listed as an NSF (national sports federation) covered under the RTI Act. The RTI Act should be made applicable to the BCCI along with its entire constituent member cricketing associations, provided they fulfil the criteria applicable to the BCCI, as discussed in the Law Commission’s report,” he said. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel