The Government has said that there are “just and reasonable grounds” for bringing Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) under the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

In a seven-page written statement submitted before the Central Information Commission, the Sports Ministry has said although there is no direct funding of the BCCI, it gets “substantial indirect funding” from the Government in the form of revenue forego like “concessions in income-tax, Customs duty etc.” and lands at concessional rates for stadiums.

The Ministry also said BCCI is performing the functions “akin” to State and ‘public duties’ by selecting national teams and representing India in international events.

Citing the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, the Ministry warned “since the name Board for Control of Cricket in India suggests patronage of the Government, the BCCI may have to drop the name ‘India’ from its name in case they continue to act as ‘private body’”.

“In the view of the above, the present position of the Government of India in this regard is that there exists just and reasonable grounds for the BCCI to be declared as a ’public authority’ under the Right to Information Act, 2005,” the Ministry said.

The Information Commissioner, Mr M.L. Sharma, while hearing plea of activist Mr Subhash Agrawal and Mr Alok Varshney, to bring BCCI under the ambit of the RTI Act, had directed the Sports Ministry to “submit a written statement indicating its position as to whether the BCCI is a public authority in terms of section 2(h) of the RTI Act.”

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