KOCHI: The rift between the Communist parties in the state has taken a new turn with a lawyers’ organisation affiliated to the CPI coming out against the CPM-led state government’s stance on divulging information under the RTI Act.
The Association submitted before the Kerala High Court the relief sought by the government, in a petition challenging the State Information Commission’s order, was a matter of concern for the public.
“The state government is indirectly seeking ‘secrecy’ for decisions taken by elected representatives, which is against the Right to Information Act,” submitted the association.
The state committee of the Indian Association of Lawyers, affiliated to the CPI, made the submission in an application seeking to be impleaded in the petition filed by the government.
Earlier, the government had sought an order instructing that under the RTI Act, information on decisions taken at meetings of the Council of Ministers need be provided only by the departments concerned after executing them. The petition was filed by association general secretary C B Swaminathan.
Earlier, the association had approached the court challenging a government order excluding the T-Branch of the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau from the purview of the RTI.
The government in its petition challenged the State Information Commission order directing the State Public Information Officer to provide an RTI activist details of the decisions taken at Cabinet meetings from January 1 t o March 12 this year.
The two leading constituents of the LDF have been at loggerheads over providing information related to government decisions, under the RTI Act. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran had demanded that the RTI Act should not be diluted, and Cabinet decisions be posted on the government website.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed the demand and asserted that such information need not be posted online as the public would know about the decisions when they are executed.