Supreme Court Halts Kerala HC Order on Cochin Airport's RTI Status

The Supreme Court has halted a Kerala High Court decision that classified Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) as a public authority under the Right to Information Act. The court is reviewing an appeal from CIAL, which argues it is a private company not subject to RTI regulations.

The Supreme Court has temporarily halted a decision by the Kerala High Court, which classified Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2005. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta listened to an appeal from the airport's authorities, contesting the high court's decision made on August 5.

Representing CIAL, the legal counsel argued that the airport is a company established under the Companies Act. The representation emphasized that it neither originated from a parliamentary decision nor received government funding, thus contesting its classification as a public authority.

The Kerala High Court's division bench had previously upheld an earlier ruling from a single judge and the State Information Commission (SIC), which declared CIAL as subject to RTI obligations. The June 20, 2019, order mandated that CIAL appoint a Public Information Officer and provide necessary information, a requirement now put on hold by the Supreme Court's intervention.

(With inputs from agencies.)