CIC directs Hockey India to disclose purpose of fund transfers to foreign accounts, other details

Activist
Subhas
Agrawal
had
filed
a
20-point
RTI
application
in
October,
2019
seeking
details
about
the
functioning
of
Hockey
India,
including
signatories
and
their
designations
on
bank
accounts,
fund
transfers
made
to
foreign
accounts
and
cash
withdrawals
made
from
its
accounts
and
their
purpose.

Hockey
India
refused
information
on
these
points
on
the
grounds
of
it
being
exempted
from
disclosure
under
Section
8(1)(d)(commercial
confidence
clause)
of
the
RTI
Act.

Agrawal
approached
the
CIC,
the
highest
adjudicating
body
under
the
RTI
Act,
challenging
Hockey
India’s
response.
He
stated
he
had
only
sought
the
designation
of
the
signatories
and
the
name
of
the
bank
accounts
and
that
the
question
of
confidentiality
was
not
applicable
here.

Agrawal
said
that
with
regard
to
the
information
related
to
fund
transfers
to
different
countries,
Hockey
India
should
have
disclosed
the
information
in
accordance
with
Section
8(2)
of
the
RTI
Act
(larger
public
interest)
because
any
amount
that
has
been
transferred
to
a
different
country
is
in
larger
public
interest.

With
regard
to
cash
withdrawals
from
Hockey
India
bank
accounts,
Agrawal
said
that
after
demonetisation,
most
of
the
transactions
have
been
digitised,
yet,
he
has
knowledge
from
reliable
sources
that
cash
withdrawals
are
being
made
by
Hockey
India.

“Hence,
he
wants
to
know
the
averred
information
and
accordingly
requested
the
commission
to
direct
the
respondent
provide
complete
information…”
Information
Commissioner
Amita
Pandove
said.

In
her
order,
Pandove
directed
Hockey
India
to
provide
designations
of
the
signatories
on
bank
accounts
only.
She
also
directed
the
federation
to
“only”
provide
purpose
of
fund
transfer
to
bank
accounts
in
foreign
countries
and
cash
withdrawals
by
Hockey
India.