'BCCI may appeal against CIC's latest RTI order'

As per the CIC order, as of now the BCCI is under the RTI Act. But the BCCI will soon get a stay on the CIC order and that's the end of the story

The Central Information Commission's (CIC) ruling to bring the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the contentious Right To Information (RTI) Act may seem as a huge step towards providing transparency in the functioning of the world's richest cricket board. However, the joy for transparency seekers may be shortlived, according to well-known lawyer and sports activist Rahul Mehra as the all-powerful BCCI could well get a stay on the CIC's order.

The CIC yesterday passed a 37-page order where the commission, the top appellate body in RTI matters, ruled that the status, nature and functional characteristics of the BCCI fulfill that the Indian cricket board is, "the 'approved' national-level body holding virtually monopoly rights to organize cricketing events in the country," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in its order.

Acharyulu accordingly directed the BCCI president, secretary and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to designate deserving officers as central public information officers, central assistant public information officers and first appellate authorities as required under the law. He also ordered the BCCI to set up an online and offline mechanisms to receive RTI applications within 15 days timeframe. As per the RTI Act, the BCCI should also be listed as a National Sports Federation (NSF).

Mehra said BCCI bigwigs, mostly top politicians of the country, would not allow the body to come under the RTI at any cost. "As per the CIC order, as of now the BCCI is under the RTI Act. But they [the BCCI] will soon get a stay on the CIC order and that's the end of the story. This is BCCI... they are in their own league," Mehra told mid-day yesterday.

Mehra said the CIC's order on the BCCI is likely to face the same outcome as it did when a similar ruling was passed to bring political parties under the RTI Act. "The CIC had ordered all political parties to come under the RTI, but what happened thereafter? The BCCI too is also ruled by political heavyweights," said Mehra. Meanwhile, a senior BCCI official slammed the CoA for not acting swiftly upon the CIC's July order. "The CoA has created a total mess in the BCCI," he said.

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