The Madhya Pradesh Chief Information Commissioner has ruled that the elite Arera Club of Bhopal, associated chiefly with bureacucrats and the city's wealthy, shall be under the purview of the Right to Information Act.
Chief Information Commissioner Padmapani Tiwari in an order passed on Thursday, rejected the club officials' contention that the club was a private body and did not fall under the purview of the RTI act.
The CIC order came on an appeal made by Transparency International activist Ajay Dube who had sought information regarding the financial activities of the club. The club administration refused the information on the grounds that the club was not covered under the RTI act.
“It is clear that the club was established by the State government and State funding is provided to it from time to time. Therefore, the club administration is ordered to provide the information sought by the applicant immediately,” read the order.
The club's information officers were not present for the hearing.
“The Arera Club's activities are funded by the State government, lavish dinners are organised by the club with public money and so there is no reason for it to be exempt from the RTI act,” Mr. Ajay Dube, the applicant told The Hindu .
