Govt restricts RTI on Chief Minister, ministers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has imposed restrictions on divulging information regarding Vigilance probes against the chief minister, ministers, MLAs, MPs and top officials under the Right to Information Act.
In protest, a section of RTI activists is planning to challenge the decision in the court.

The government issued a notification on January 27 exempting the T-Branch (Top Secret Section) of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau from the purview of the RTI Act by invoking the provisions in the RTI Act’s section 24. The T-branch deals with inquiries pertaining to the chief minister, ministers, former ministers, MLAs, MPs and All-India service officers.

“How can a unit handling matters pertaining to the investigation against ministers and bureaucrats be considered as a security or intelligence organisation? We are moving the court challenging the notification,” said RTI activist D.B. Binu. Eight sections of intelligence and security organisations were earlier exempted from the provisions of RTI Act.

Interestingly, the VACB had redistributed the works of the Top Secret Section on January 18, a few days ahead of the government issuing the notification on January 27.

All confidential verification, Vigilance inquiries and quick verifications of sensitive nature, including that of the CM, ministers, former ministers, MLAs, MPs and all-India service officers, are dealt with by the section.

These apart, matters related to all surprise checks of the above persons as well as correspondence of VACB with Lok Ayukta, CBI and Central Vigilance Commission and even petitions under the inquiry of Lok Ayukta, CBI or CVC are also brought under the T-section.

Sources said that the leakage of information pertaining to the bar bribery probes against the various ministers seemed to have provoked the government to take the decision.