Chennithala criticises government for not releasing information on Cabinet decisions

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said on Friday that the government was questioning the very basis of the Right to Information Act by refusing to comply with the order of the State Information Commission to release details of Cabinet decisions.

Addressing a press conference here, the Opposition Leader said government was afraid of releasing information. The LDF had campaigned that the UDF Cabinet had taken 782 decisions before the elections. However, Cabinet subcommittee was considering only 32 decisions now. However, it had taken no decision on them. The new government was neither reversing the decisions nor approving them. Its objective was merely to keep the previous government under a cloud.

Mr. Chennithala also noted that the government was also trying not to release future decisions of the Cabinet when it had the responsibility to release information.

He said that the argument that information on Cabinet decisions should be obtained from departments concerned was neither practical nor legal. The Chief Secretary was the custodian of the minutes of the Cabinet and the one to give effect to the decisions. He should disclose which decisions were implemented and which were not.

He said that refusal to disclose Cabinet decisions was the biggest wrong being done by the government which makes claims about a transparent administration.