It refers to Acting Secretary of Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) expressing hope to get tax-exemptions for India hosting mega events of the 2021 Champions Trophy and the 2023 World Cup. Tax-exemptions are indirect government-funding sufficient to bring any body under Right-To-Information (RTI) Act. If BCCI wants to get tax-exemptions, there is no logic in its desiring to be exempted from RTI Act.
A recent RTI response subsequent to hearing at Central Information Commission (CIC) reveals that super-rich cricket-body owes huge over rupees 860 as tax-dues. It is beyond understanding how and why Income Tax Department agrees to give relaxation in time to BCCI for paying tax-dues. Even Central Information Commissioner Bimal Julka in his order drew attention of tax recovery authorities about the approach, procedures and extant guidelines followed by Income Tax Department in recovery of arrears of taxes due from the public body (BCCI) and the interest accrued thereon in this particular case vis-a-vis the philosophy pursued in similarly placed matters.
Income Tax Department should take harsh and stringent-most steps including if necessary attachment of bank-account of BCCI to recover tax-dues from the public body which even practically does not need any such relaxation because of sufficient funds always available with it to pay such petty tax-dues.
Madhu Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
