Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday withdrew its order exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, after the move drew criticism from political parties and transparency activists.
The government revoked Government Order Ms. No. 57, issued by the Human Resources Management (R) Department on September 21, which had brought the Public (Law and Order) Department under the exemption provided by Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.
Government Revokes September 21 Order
The government said in its fresh order that the September 21 notification “stands revoked”.
The earlier order had classified the Public (Law and Order) Department as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation” established by the Tamil Nadu government, thereby bringing it within the RTI exemption framework under Section 24 of the Act.
The decision had attracted criticism after it became public, with concerns raised over its potential impact on access to information relating to law-and-order matters.
Department Handles Sensitive Police Matters
The Public (Law and Order) Department deals with several sensitive issues, including inquiry reports concerning police firing, custodial deaths, allegations of police torture and deaths of remand prisoners.
It also handles matters related to communal and caste clashes, political agitations, preventive detention and references from the National Human Rights Commission.
The department also deals with reports on law-and-order and communal incidents sent to the Centre, parliamentary questions and certain matters involving political protests and prosecution.
Under Section 24 of the RTI Act, intelligence and security organisations notified by governments can be exempted from the Act, subject to exceptions including information concerning allegations of corruption and human-rights violations.
Political Criticism Triggers Debate
The original order faced criticism from opposition leaders as well as members of parties supporting the TVK-led government.
CPM MP S Venkatesan was among those who called for the exemption to be withdrawn. VCK president and MP Thol Thirumavalavan also criticised the move and urged the government to reverse it.
The government had earlier defended the decision, with TVK Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar saying the exemption was intended to cover only certain categories of information. He had also indicated that the matter could be reconsidered if the public expressed concerns.
With Sunday’s decision, the proposed exemption of the Public (Law and Order) Department from the RTI Act has been withdrawn.