It refers to Income Tax Department revealing about Rs 860.52 crores as tax-dues against richest cricket-body of the world namely Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI). Revelation comes after CIC-verdict in petition-number CIC/RM/A/2012/000197-BJ wherein CIC passed observations against Income Tax Department for being liberal against BCCI for recovery of tax-dues. Income Tax Department, during several rounds of hearing, had confused about some stay-order against recovery of tax-dues till December 2017. Later it turned out to be stay by Income Tax Department itself.
It is shocking and surprising that Income Tax Department gives undue relaxation to such super-rich bodies which spends money minted out of public-craze to liberally to our ultra-rich cricketers by paying individual cricketers (grad-wise) annually in several crores of rupees by way of hefty salary, match-fees apart from award-money on winning matches thus creating a super-class society in the country.
Chairperson of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) should personally ensure that no liberty for tax-default may be given to such a super-rich and affording body. It is also time that Central government may accept Law Commission recommendations to bring BCCI under RTI Act as also repeatedly advised by the Apex Court in its guiding remarks in its decision.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
