Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and present leader of opposition (LoP) Jairam Thakur has strongly criticised the state govt for its move to exclude the vigilance bureau (VB) and anti-corruption bureau (ACB) from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.Speaking during his visit to Dharamshala, Thakur termed the decision “undemocratic and against the spirit of the Constitution”, alleging that the state govt attempted to avoid transparency and hide corruption. He said Section 24 of the RTI Act allowed exemption only for agencies involved in sensitive intelligence or security operations. Since the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau’s primary role was to investigate corruption cases, he argued there was no constitutional or moral justification to keep it outside the RTI framework.He also questioned why such a major decision was attempted without bringing it before the state assembly or completing the required legislative process. The opposition leader further demanded that the govt clarified what investigations were underway that required secrecy. According to him, making vigilance matters confidential raised suspicion that cases involving ministers or political leaders might be suppressed. Meanwhile, Thakur also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah for approving Rs 288 crore in additional disaster relief for Himachal Pradesh, urging the state govt to ensure the funds reached affected communities.
