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Indian Express: Cuttack: Sunday, 23 May 2021.
The Orissa High Court has refused to grant interim stay on Odisha Information Commission (OIC)’s decree declaring Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) as a public authority within the definition of the Right to Information Act-2005.
OIC had issued the order on July 9, 2020 on a complaint for bringing OOA under the ambit of RTI to ensure greater transparency and accountability in its operations. While issuing the order, OIC had directed OOA to comply with the provisions of Act within 30 days from the date of receipt of the order.
Accordingly, OOA, the apex sports body of the State, was to set up an RTI cell with appointment of a Public Information Officer and First Appellate Authority to comply with the provisions of the Act and pave the way for citizens to access information, records and documents of the association.
But OOA had filed a petition challenging the OIC order on April 30 on the ground that it is a private body and cannot be brought under the RTI. An interim application was also filed seeking a stay order. The petition came up before the Vacation Court on Monday. But after a preliminary hearing, the vacation bench of Justice SK Panigrahi issued notice to the State government and OIC to file a response when the matter is taken up after the summer vacation.
The OOA operates and maintains the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack which had come up on land given by the government under a long-term lease for development of sports in Odisha. OOA is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which has already subjected itself to the provisions of RTI in compliance with the order passed by the High Court of Delhi in some writ petitions in 2010. “In that view of the matter, the OOA would not be justified to claim that it is outside the purview of RTI Act as the IOA is subject to the said Act”, the OIC had ruled in its July 9 order.
The Orissa High Court has refused to grant interim stay on Odisha Information Commission (OIC)’s decree declaring Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) as a public authority within the definition of the Right to Information Act-2005.
OIC had issued the order on July 9, 2020 on a complaint for bringing OOA under the ambit of RTI to ensure greater transparency and accountability in its operations. While issuing the order, OIC had directed OOA to comply with the provisions of Act within 30 days from the date of receipt of the order.
Accordingly, OOA, the apex sports body of the State, was to set up an RTI cell with appointment of a Public Information Officer and First Appellate Authority to comply with the provisions of the Act and pave the way for citizens to access information, records and documents of the association.
But OOA had filed a petition challenging the OIC order on April 30 on the ground that it is a private body and cannot be brought under the RTI. An interim application was also filed seeking a stay order. The petition came up before the Vacation Court on Monday. But after a preliminary hearing, the vacation bench of Justice SK Panigrahi issued notice to the State government and OIC to file a response when the matter is taken up after the summer vacation.
The OOA operates and maintains the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack which had come up on land given by the government under a long-term lease for development of sports in Odisha. OOA is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which has already subjected itself to the provisions of RTI in compliance with the order passed by the High Court of Delhi in some writ petitions in 2010. “In that view of the matter, the OOA would not be justified to claim that it is outside the purview of RTI Act as the IOA is subject to the said Act”, the OIC had ruled in its July 9 order.
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