LDF government will not weaken RTI act: CM

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that the CPI-M-led LDF government would not sabotage Right to Information (RTI) Act, contrary to allegations from the Opposition and RTI activists.

Maintaining his government's stand against bringing all the cabinet decisions under the RTI, Vijayan, in a press release, said his comments were not against RTI Act.

“The allegation that the government is trying to weaken the Act is baseless. There is no question of that. What I said was not against the RTI Act,” he said.

“There is an attempt to create a perception that the LDF government is like the previous UDF government. The allegations are completely against the Left democratic principles. Some people are trying to spread misunderstandings about the government,” Vijayan said.

Inaugurating a seminar on RTI Act, organised by the state Information Commission here last week, the Chief Minister had said that information on all Cabinet decisions cannot be disclosed under the Act.

“Strengthening of the Act would help reduce corruption, which is growing as a threat to the administrative system, but all should be alert against its misuse by certain people,” he had said.

"There is no need to deny any information when it is sought under the RTI. It is not needed to keep information and documents under an iron curtain," he said.

"But all cabinet decisions cannot be revealed in that manner. If information on some decisions are revealed, a situation may arise that we cannot implement those decisions. So its details can be provided only after implementing it," he had said.

Those seeking facts under RTI should be able to differentiate between information which can be disclosed and that which cannot be disclosed, he said, adding that misuse of the Act by a minority would not be a hindrance for others to get its favours.