# Kerala High Court: Approved building plan is public information under RTI 2026-08-18T09:44:07+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Kerala High Court has ruled that a building plan approved by a local body does not constitute 'personal information' under the Right to Information Act and can be disclosed to an RTI applicant. Justice Murali Purushothaman held that once a plan is approved by the Panchayat Secretary, it becomes part of the records relating to panchayat affairs and is a public document. The court said disclosure of plans that must be in the public domain cannot be regarded as involving commercial confidence or trade secrets. The order came on a writ petition by Joseph Palackatharayil Varughese, who sought copies of the approved building plan of Elmecs Multispeciality Hospital in Kareelakulangara. The hospital had opposed the request, arguing it was third-party information sought due to personal grudge. The State Public Information Officer had agreed to provide other permits but rejected the building plan citing the hospital's objection. Rejecting the hospital's argument on alternative remedy, the court found the denial illegal and directed the SPIO of Pathiyoor Gramapanchayat to furnish a copy of the approved building plan to the petitioner within one month. The court relied on the Supreme Court's 2019 judgment in Ferani Hotels that development plans submitted to a corporation must be in the public domain. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Kerala High Court's ruling broadens RTI access to approved building plans, rejecting claims of personal privacy or commercial confidentiality. While the hospital's objection invokes possible misuse, the court rightly notes the RTI Act does not require applicants to state reasons. The decision aligns with Supreme Court precedent from Ferani Hotels, which emphasised the public element in development plans. However, the judgment provides no guidance on balancing third-party commercial interests when plans contain genuine trade secrets. This gap may invite litigation. Watch for appeals or legislative clarification, as local bodies across Kerala must now comply within the one-month deadline set by the court. ## Coverage - livelaw.in This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Elmecs Multispeciality Hospital, Kerala High Court, Murali Purushothaman, RTI Act Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-high-court-approved-building-plan-is-public-information-under-rti/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-high-court-approved-building-plan-is-public-information-under-rti/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/