The opposition BJP Friday criticised the Himachal Pradesh government a day after the state decided to exclude the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
On March 12, 2026, the Department of Personnel (Administrative Reforms) issued an official notification stating that the bureau will no longer fall under the RTI Act provisions.
The decision was taken under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.
Senior BJP MLA and party spokesperson Randhir Sharma said “The state government’s decision reflects a dictatorial mindset.
It violates the rights of common citizens to obtain information through the RTI Act.”
He also alleged that the decision appeared to be a “well-planned conspiracy”, which aimed at misusing government machinery and shielding the functioning of the vigilance department from public scrutiny.
The BJP leader demanded that the government immediately review and withdraw the decision in the interest of transparency and accountability in governance.
The state government had said the step was taken to ensure confidentiality in sensitive matters and to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations handled by the vigilance department.
The order was issued by Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta on behalf of the state government.
The copies of the order were circulated to the secretary to the Governor, secretary to the Chief Minister, the chief secretary, all administrative secretaries, the departments’ heads, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners as well as other government institutions and universities across the state.
The instructions were also issued to publish the notification in the official e-Gazette.
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Source: This article was originally published by The Indian Express
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