Major coup in Hema Committee report? Government accused of concealing crucial information

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is reported that the government has omitted more parts of the Hema Committee report than the RTI Commission suggested. While 29 paragraphs were asked to be omitted, 129 paragraphs were omitted by the government. In the order given by the RTI Commission to the government, it was stated that paragraph 96 on page 40 and some parts on pages 81 to 100 should be omitted.

However, in the report released by the government, 129 paragraphs on pages 49 to 53 were omitted. It is being argued that important information was contained in these paragraphs. In the earlier information given to the applicants, they were not informed that these will be exempted.

However, the government has clarified that these have been omitted out of respect for privacy. The government has made a large-scale exemption because of the RTI's indirect reference that the sections that affect privacy may be omitted. It is reported that the parts containing the most brutal sexual assault information have been omitted.

Information requested by the Right to Information Commission has also been redacted. However, the government has also released paragraph 96 of page 48, which the Commission requested not to release. There is no privacy information on this page.

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