Indian Sports Minister Ajay Maken has taken his campaign to bring the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) under the purview of the Right to Information Act to the Central Information Commission, according to media reports.
“We have appealed to the CIC,” he told reporters May 31, according to The Times of India and The Hindu. It is not clear whether his comments signaled a new effort, however. In December he submitted a seven-page argument to the CIC arguing for BCCI to be covered as a public body. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.)
“The first reason why the BCCI should come under RTI is that the lands on which the state federations have built their stadiums and other facilities have been provided by the state governments,” Maken said. “Moreover, from 1996 to 2006, the government has given a tax exemption of Rs 365 crore to the BCCI.”
“And the most important thing is that the biggest public function they are performing is by selecting the team for India. Any team or institution which plays under the Indian flag should come under RTI,” Maken added.
His efforts to pass legislation applying the RTI to sports regulatory bodies have been rebuffed. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.)
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