Stories
Hockey India Denies Funding Trophy Tour, Tamil Nadu Accounts Show Otherwise
- •Hockey India claims it did not fund the 'Pass the Ball Trophy Tour' for the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Chennai.
- •An RTI plea by N Santhanaraj sought details on the funding and expenditure for the event.
- •Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu's audited financial statements for 2023-24 show a receipt of Rs 54,36,332 from Hockey India for the tour.
- •The financial statements also record an equivalent expenditure of Rs 54,36,332 towards the trophy tour.
- •The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed Hockey India to re-examine its records due to the discrepancy.
Key Questions Answered
Hockey India stated that it did not allot, sanction, or disburse any funds to the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu for the tour. However, the audited financial statements of the state hockey body for 2023-24 showed a receipt of Rs 54,36,332 from Hockey India, with an equivalent amount recorded as expenditure for the event.
N Santhanaraj filed an RTI plea seeking details of the amount allotted and spent on the Pass the Ball Trophy Tour, along with records of expenditure reports, verification and approval, supporting bills, invoices, and vouchers. He informed the Central Information Commission that these requested records had not been furnished to him.
Information Commissioner P R Ramesh noted that while the financial statement does not conclusively establish the underlying documentation, the specific entry warrants verification. The CIC directed Hockey India to examine its financial and event-related records and provide a revised point-wise reply to address the discrepancy.
