Thiruvananthapuram: The Catholic Congress has initiated legal proceedings in the Kerala High Court, demanding the public release of the long-pending J. B. Koshy Commission report, citing the state government’s continued refusal to make it accessible despite repeated requests.
The petition, filed as WP(C) 42238/2025, contends that the government has consistently withheld the report, even as the church and community members have persistently sought its disclosure. Efforts to obtain the document under the Right to Information (RTI) Act at various administrative levels reportedly ended in rejection, with authorities claiming that the report could not be shared.
The Catholic Congress points out that the State Information Commission, in its response, indicated the report’s release was impossible because it had been under Cabinet consideration for nearly three years. The petition challenges this prolonged secrecy, questioning how the government can claim to implement the report’s recommendations without allowing public or administrative access to its contents.
“Implementation without disclosure is illogical and undermines transparency,” the Congress statement noted. “The government’s ongoing ‘hide and seek’ with this report raises serious questions about accountability and administrative intent.”
The Catholic Congress further criticized both ruling and opposition parties for showing indifference to the issue, highlighting what it calls a disturbing lack of concern for a segment of the population directly affected by the commission’s findings. “Political differences appear to have taken a back seat to collective inaction,” the statement read, hinting at a possible organized disregard for public accountability.
The organization has demanded that the government clarify why the report remains unpublished, how its recommendations are being implemented in practice, and why no decisive administrative action has yet been taken.
The High Court petition aims to ensure that the report, prepared at a cost running into crores of rupees, is made publicly accessible and that its recommendations are executed in letter and spirit. According to the Catholic Congress, this is not just a matter of administrative transparency but a fundamental question of public trust and governance.
The organization has reiterated its commitment to holding the authorities accountable and ensuring that the concerns of the affected community are addressed through both legal and civic channels.