CIC directs Hockey India to disclose sponsorship details

New Delhi, Sep 12: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed Hockey India to disclose the details of the sponsorship amount it received during last two years and the commission it paid to get them.

The CIC'S directive came on the plea of BJP MP Kirti Azad who had sought the response of Hockey India, apex body to conduct activities for both men's and women's hockey in the country, on seven points, including sponsorship details.

He had also sought to know the details of expenditure incurred on consultancy and legal expenses in the last two years with name of each consultant and lawyer engaged by Hockey India and Hockey India League.

During the hearing before the CIC, Hockey India's counsel argued that these details are already in public domain through their website and hence they need not provide them under the Right to Information Act.

Sameer Bahadur, who argued the case on behalf of Azad, told the Commission that they have not received information on the points related to sponsorship amount, commission paid to get sponsorship and expenditure incurred on consultancy and legal expenses.

He added that the website of Hockey India is incomplete and it is depriving Azad of information by its approach of telling people to take the information from its website.

The charge was countered by the counsel of the regulatory body who said the website was complete and they can provide print outs.

"The Commission is of the considered view that the appellant has been deprived by the respondents deliberately from having the benefits of the RTI Act, 2005, even after lapse of more than 11 months period. As such, the Commission feels that appellant's second appeal deserves to be allowed partly ... Therefore, it is allowed accordingly," Information Commissioner MA Khan Yusufi said.

He said Hockey India will provide print outs of their website with regards to three issues -- sponsorship amount, commission paid to get it, and legal and consultancy fee paid by it -- and if the information is not available on the website, they will furnish it to Azad.

PTI