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3. To my point no. 5, the CPIO has again avoided a direct answer. Hockey India is conducting a national sport and it is absolutely imperative for it to be open and transparent about payments that it makes to consultants of all hues, auditors - Internal and statutory, legal consultants, tax consultant, lawyers etc. My questions remains - How much and to whom, have been paid by Hockey India/HIL during the last two years? I am sure that you would be required to give a utilization certificate to your sponsors for the various amounts that you would have taken from them.
                                    such companies, and how
                                    much each of them has        It is noted that in the first
                                    paid you in the last two     appeal under this question,
                                    years and has contracted     you have asked for new
                                    to pay you in the next       information which were not
                                    two years - year wise?       in the RTI application
                                                                 dated 13.09.2015 as such
                                                                 as Appellate Authority,
                                                                 under RTI Act, I am not
                                                                 mandated to supply the
                                                                 information which were not
                                                                 asked       in   the     RTI
                                                                 application.
     3.   Amount          2         To point no. 3, the CPIO     It is noted form the RTI
     of                             has conveniently cited       reply    of    CPIO   dated
     Commission                     issues        such     as    09.10.2015      CPIO     has
     paid       for                 Commercial confidence,       drawn you kind attention
     getting                        Intellectual Property or     to the web sites of Hockey
     sponsorships                   trade secret which is        Inia indicating that all the
     during    the                  seemingly the reason for     information to be provided
     past    three                  not     disclosing   such    under the RTI Act has

CIC/KY/A/2016/001025                                                                     Page 4
      years along           information. I fail to        already been       placed     in
     with names,           understand how details of     public domain.
     addresses of          commercial sponsorship
     the persons           cannot be disclosed and       The CPIO has also drawn
     /    agencies         how            Commercial     your attention to Clause
     who     were          confidence,    Intellectual   8(d) of the RTI Act;
     paid      the         property or trade secret      information asked for is of
     Commission.           will be adversely affected    commercial      confidence,
                           by such a disclosure. In      trade secret or intellectual
                           fact, in the interest of      property and disclosure of
                           transparency,         such    which would harm the
                           information should be         competitive position of the
                           made public, particularly     third part - the sponsors
                           when        crores       of   and organizers of the
                           sponsorship are being         Event; and CPIO is of the
                           collected,    and     such    opinion that disclosure will
                           money is being spent on       not    serve   any    public
                           running a national sport.     interest.
                           Certainly,      such      a
                           disclosure cannot harm        After      examining         the
                           the competitive position      material on record and
                           of any third party, who is    your RTI Application, reply
                           in the business of making     given by CPIO and your
                           an existence out of their     first appeal I am of the
                           business.                     considered view that CPIO
                                                         has      properly      invoked
                                                         Clause 8(d) of the RTI Act
                                                         which       exempts        from
                                                         disclosures        of        the
                                                         information which are of
                                                         commercial, trade secrets
                                                         or intellectual property and
                                                         disclosure of which would
                                                         harm      the     competitive
                                                         position of the third party.
                                                         I am also of the view that
                                                         disclosure       of        such
                                                         information will affect the
                                                         sponsors and strategies
                                                         being     drawn       in     the
                                                         competitive sports world
                                                         which may also affect the
                                                         future preparation of the
                                                         Indian players for various
                                                         international            events
                                                         including Olympic Game. I
                                                         also agree with CPIO that
                                                         disclosure will not serve
                                                         any public interest.
     5.                3   To my point no. 5, the        You sought information
     Expenditure           CPIO has again avoided a      with regard the legal
     incurred on           direct answer. Hockey         expenses of Hockey India
     consultancy           India is conducting a         over the past 2 years. I
     and     legal         national sport and it is      find that the CPIO has
     expenses in           absolutely imperative for     already      directed      your

CIC/KY/A/2016/001025                                                                 Page 5
       the last two                 it to be open and              attention to the website of
      years    with                transparent           about    Hockey India, wherein the
      name       of                payments that it makes         annual      accounts     are
      each                         to consultants of all hues,    published, and the overall
      consultants                  auditors - Internal and        legal expenses for each
      and lawyers                  statutory,             legal   year are already disclosed.
      engaged by                   consultants,             tax   I agree with the CPIO that
      Hockey                       consultant, lawyers etc.       the details of legal fees
      India    and                 My questions remains -         disclosing the names and
      Hockey                       How much and to whom,          fee    charged    by   each
      India                        have      been   paid     by   lawyer/law firm cannot be
      League.                      Hockey India/HIL during        disclosed as it constitutes
                                   the last two years? I am       information of commercial
                                   sure that you would be         confidence to the legal
                                   required     to   give     a   professionals involved, and
                                   utilization certificate to     also        to       Hockey
                                   your sponsors for the          India/Hockey           India
                                   various amounts that you       League. The CPIO has
                                   would have taken from          denied disclosure of this
                                   them.                          information as being of
                                                                  commercial      confidence,
                                                                  the disclosure of which
                                                                  would        harm        the
                                                                  competitive position of a
                                                                  third party. I agree with
                                                                  the decision of the CPIO in
                                                                  this regard, and hold that
                                                                  the      information       is
                                                                  exempted from disclosure
                                                                  under Section 8(1)(d).

                                                                  I also agree with CPIO that
                                                                  disclosure will not serve
                                                                  any public interest.

3. To my point no. 5, the CPIO has again avoided a direct answer, Hockey India is conducting a national sport and it is absolutely imperative for it to be open and transparent about payments that it makes to consultants of all hues, auditors- Internal and statutory. Legal consultants, tax consultants, lawyers etc. my questions remains-How much and to whom have been paid by Hockey India/HIL during the last two years? I am sure that you would be required to give a utilization certificate to your sponsors for the various amounts that you would have taken from them.