Thiruvananthapuram: The previous government shelved a Vigilance report that flagged suspected irregularities in expenses incurred by senior Tourism Department officials on foreign trips and recommended a probe. The government withheld the findings, saying the agency's 'top secret' wing handled the inquiry.

The report examined 24 foreign trips officials, including the Tourism Secretary and Director, undertook between 2018 and 2024 and recommended a probe into trips dating back to 2018. When information about the report was sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act toward the end of last year, Vigilance refused to disclose it, citing the involvement of its T Section. The Home Department has now also decided to exempt the section from the RTI Act, citing the need to protect the confidentiality of Vigilance investigations.

The report recommended an investigation into whether expenditure on foreign trips undertaken by senior officials for tourism promotion, including participation in trade fairs and roadshows, had received the required approvals. It also called for an examination of whether funds had been spent in violation of government orders or if public money was misused.

“If the government has suffered a loss, a detailed investigation should be conducted to identify those responsible,” the report said, recommending a preliminary inquiry into foreign trips undertaken since 2018. However, no further action was taken, and the findings were never made public.

The government has argued that the T Section should be exempted from the RTI Act because it handles sensitive and crucial confidential information. However, the fact that the section itself investigated the foreign trips by Tourism Department officials raises questions about what “secrets” need to be kept from the public.

RTI shield ignored, information still withheld
Although the T Section was brought under the purview of the RTI Act in January 2022, Vigilance continued to withhold information relating to inquiries handled by the section.

In response to an RTI query on January 9 last year about foreign trips by Tourism Department officials, Vigilance said, “The information sought is being investigated by the T Section. As per a 2016 order, the T (Top Secret) Section of Vigilance has been exempted from the purview of the RTI Act. Hence, the information cannot be provided.”

The government revoked the 2016 order exempting the T Section from the RTI Act in 2022. Yet Vigilance continued to cite the defunct order to deny access to information without disclosing that it had been revoked. This shows that Vigilance withheld information even when the section fell within the ambit of the RTI Act. The latest move to place the T Section entirely beyond the Act’s reach assumes added significance in this context.