Kochi Corporation’s move to put a leash on serial RTI ‘abusers’ triggers backlash
The Kochi Corporation's decision to report 'serial' RTI applicants to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has sparked significant backlash. Critics, including legal experts and opposition parties, argue the move undermines the transparency and democratic intent of the RTI Act.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the tension between preventing the misuse of transparency laws and protecting the public's right to hold government officials accountable.
The Kochi Corporation’s decision to put a leash on what it perceived as serial abusers of the Right to Information (RTI) Act seems to have landed the UDF council in trouble, with the move drawing flak from the opposition LDF, legal experts, and RTI activists alike.
The LDF will petition the State Chief Information Commissioner and the Corporation Secretary against the move on Monday (October 12, 2026), while RTI Federation Keralam is set to approach the Governor demanding a rollback of the decision. The now-controversial decision to hand over the names of “serial” RTI petitioners to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) was taken at the council meeting on Wednesday (October 7, 2026). This was after Kadavanthra councillor Gipson George initiated a discussion calling for action against those he derogatorily referred to as “RTI labourers”.
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