Bring BCCI under RTI ambit, recommends Law Commission
The Law Commission of India has recommended that the Indian cricket board, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), should be brought under the ambit of Right to Information (RTI) Act.
It is recommended that RTI Act be made applicable to BCCI along with all of its constituent member cricketing associations, provided they fulfil the criteria applicable to BCCI, the commission said on Wednesday.
Noting that the BCCI falls under the definition of public authority, the law panel justified RTI access to the board by saying that it has received "substantial financing" from appropriate governments in the form of tax exemptions and land grants, reported PTI.
It said non-consideration of the role played by the BCCI as monopolistic in the regulation of the game of cricket has resulted in the board "flying under the radar of public scrutiny, encouraged an environment of opacity and non-accountability".
In July 2016, the Supreme Court had asked the commission to recommend whether the cricket board can be brought under the Right to Information Act.
The report, submitted to the Law Ministry today, states that BCCI ought to be classified as state' within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution.
More trouble for BCCI?
The BCCI, which functions as a private entity and is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, is the world's richest and the most powerful cricket body.
The BCCI literally receives the majority share of the revenue generated in world cricket and has one of the most lucrative sponsorships and broadcasting deals.
If the government approves the Law Commission's recommendations, then there might be more trouble in store for the board, which is already being managed by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators.
Bringing BCCI under the RTI Act would empower the public to file PIL and question BCCI's decisions, right from national and state team selections to awarding contracts.
