The Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (Markfed) has been declared a “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 by the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in a significant ruling aimed at strengthening transparency in the cooperative sector.
Justice Vivek Rusia upheld an order of the State Information Commission directing Markfed to provide information under the RTI Act. Markfed had argued that it is a cooperative institution and not directly controlled by the government, and therefore should not fall within the scope of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
However, the court observed that the state government plays a substantial role in the management and functioning of the federation.
It noted that Markfed receives considerable government financial assistance and that senior officials, including the Managing Director, are generally appointed by the state government.
The court said institutions operating under government control or receiving substantial public funding qualify as public authorities under the RTI Act. The ruling is expected to improve transparency in fertilizer distribution, procurement operations and administrative functioning within cooperative institutions.
