Lions Club ex-governor told to give info under RTI

Jasneet Bindra: Thu Sep 23 2010: Chandigarh:

The Punjab State Information Commission directed a former district governor of Lions’ Club International to provide information on income, expenditure and bank statements of the club under the RTI Act.

State Information Commissioner Lt Gen P K Grover (Retd) has marked a copy of the order to Neville A Mehta, International Secretary, India, South Asia and East Africa, Lions’ Club International, Mumbai, for taking cognisance.

Grover took the decision while hearing the case of Parbodh Chander Bali of Amritsar who had sought information from Rajiv Kukreja, the then governor of district 321-D, Lions’ Club International, Tanda Urmar (Hoshiarpur), on March 11. On not getting a response, he filed an appeal with the first appellate authority on April 21 and subsequently with the commission on August 17. Bali submitted that the club was financed by the government, directly and indirectly, and therefore fell within the purview of the RTI Act.

Dr Mohinderjit Singh, the incumbent district governor who was present on behalf of the respondent, said since he had taken over recently and the documents were held by Kukreja, the latter should be asked to provide the replies. Grover issued a fresh notice to Kukreja and directed him to submit replies to Bali, and also sent copies of the order to the Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner and the International Association of Lions’ Clubs, Lions’ Clubs International, Jalandhar.

Bali told The Indian Express that to prove that the club was a public authority, he produced the lease deed from the Amritsar Municipal Corporation in favour of the club for 16,805 square yards at a prime location in Ram Bagh Garden at the rate of Re 1 per month. He also furnished the sale deed executed in favour of Lions’ Club, near Golden Temple, from Amritsar Improvement Trust for 726 square yards at the rate of Rs 160 per sq yard in March this year, while the market price of the land was about Rs 2 lakh per sq yard. Bali said he had also sought information about the financial aids provided to the club by the government and list of projects being run by District 321-D, and all clubs under its control. Bali said he had also asked if the club had taken government land on rent or lease, and for what amount.