HDC Refuses to Disclose Salary Expenditure Data, Claims Information Is Confidential

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has refused to disclose information it is legally required to publish under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, claiming that the requested data is confidential.

A request was submitted to HDC seeking details of the company’s total expenditure on employee salaries. However, HDC rejected the request, stating that the information falls under Section 25(a) of the Right to Information Act and can therefore be withheld from disclosure.

During a hearing held by the Information Commissioner’s Office (iCOM), HDC argued that releasing the information could cause significant harm to the company.

However, Section 37(f) of the RTI Act requires state institutions to proactively publish, at least once a year, details of salaries, allowances, and benefits paid to all employees.

Apart from salary-related information, HDC has also declined to disclose details regarding funds owed to the company that remain unpaid.

The matter is currently under review by the Information Commissioner’s Office. On June 2, iCOM instructed HDC to release the requested information within five days.

The case has raised fresh concerns over transparency and compliance with the Right to Information Act among state-owned enterprises.