The Kerala government has removed the T1 and T2 sections of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) from the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. On Thursday, the General Administration Department published a special gazette notification formally exempting both sections from the RTI Act.

The T1 section deals with confidential records, including annual confidential reports of senior officials, background verifications involving high-ranking ministers and officials, and complaints against civil servants and elected representatives. The T2 section primarily handles intelligence-related activities, including source reports and field-level verifications.

Similar T sections within the Police Headquarters and Crime Branch are already exempt from the RTI Act. The latest exemption has been introduced under Section 24(4) of the legislation, which allows state governments to exclude specified intelligence and security organisations from its provisions.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala defended the decision, stating that confidentiality was essential for the effective functioning of the department. He also noted that the VACB's T sections had previously been exempted before the LDF government brought them under the RTI Act.

Under the revised arrangement, the VACB director will determine which files fall within the T sections. The decision has raised concerns that the exemption could restrict public access to information used to investigate allegations of corruption.

BJP leaders strongly criticised the move, accusing the government of shielding corrupt officials. BJP national secretary K. Surendran described the decision as anti-democratic and alleged that it would encourage corruption. BJP state vice-president Shone George also criticised the government, arguing that its decision contradicted its stated commitment to fighting corruption.