RTI Improvement: 8 new Information Commissioners to be appointed soon in Uttar Pradesh

[akhilesh yadav]

8 new Information Commissioners to be appointed soon in Uttar Pradesh


Reported by UNI in newkerla.com on August 23, 2012
8 new Information Commissioners to be appointed soon in Uttar Pradesh | 70977

Uttar Pradesh government today short listed eight persons from various fields for appointment on vacant posts of Information Commissioners (ICs) in UP State Information Commission (UPSIC).

The list would now be sent for Governor's approval by the Chief Minister very soon.

The meeting of three member panel, authorised for selection of information commissioners and chief information commissioner, was held at Chief Minister's official residence where eight names were short listed from a list of 112 persons who had applied for coveted posts.

Currently only two information commissioners Khadijatul Kubra and Gyan Prakash Maurya were holding offices in UPSIC as eight posts were lying vacant hampering functioning of the commission responsible for implementation of Right to Information (RTI) Act in the state.

The selection panel including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, minister for Health and Medical Education Ahmed Hasan and leader of opposition in state assembly Swami Prasad Maurya was constituted yesterday.

According to sources, among persons selected for post of ICs were lawyers, former bureaucrats and media persons. The two members of the panel refrained from naming the persons selected and said, with approval of the Governor appointment of new information commissioners was likely to be announced very soon.

Mr Maurya while coming out of the meeting, said, "the CM has been authorised for selection of Information Commissioners and I hope, with their appointment, UPSIC will work in a transparent and efficient manner." Since the appointment of chief information commissioner and information commissioners was solely depend on the ruling party, UPSIC was faced to allegations of politicisation which was denting its credibility and functioning both. Samajwadi party itself had held the appointment of present chief information commissioner R S Pankaj as political one which was aimed at serving interests of the then ruling BSP.

The appointment of Khadijatul Kubra as information commissioner during previous BSP regime had invited much criticism from opposition and RTI activists.

The apex court recently in an order have held political appointment responsible for over all detoriation in functioning of information commissions in the country.

[akhilesh yadav]

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Raj Bhawan poser stumps govt

Reported by Umesh Raghuvanshi on August 31, 2012
Raj Bhawan poser stumps govt - Hindustan Times

Raj Bhawan has asked the state government whether background checks were conducted before recommending names for appointment of state information commissioners (SICs). The development comes a week after the state government sent the names to governor BL Joshi for his approval. The Raj Bhavan communiqué has sent the state government in a tizzy as the names of the SICs were based mainly on recommendations from politicians and sent without background checks. Sources said there may be three to four names whose backgrounds need to be checked.Senior officers of the state government remained unavailable or refused to comment as the Raj Bhavan communique may cause an embarrassment to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his government.

"Raj Bhavan is examining the file relating to the appointment of the state information commissioners. Background check is a normal procedure before making appointments. This should have been followed for the appointment of SICs as well," an officer said on condition of anonymity. "The state government is examining the points raised in the Raj Bhavan communiqué and a reply will be sent," he said.

The communiqué has come at a point when the names of some controversial persons are doing rounds as the possible contenders for the posts of SICs.

The 11 member commission had eight vacancies. As per the provisions of the Right to Information Act 2005, "the state information commissioners shall be appointed by the governor on the recommendations of a committee comprising of chief minister (chairperson), the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly and a cabinet minister nominated by the chief minister."

The state government had sent the names for the appointment of the SICs after a meeting of the selection committee on August 23. The chief minister had presided over the meeting that was attended by Swami Prasad Maurya, the leader of the opposition in the Vidhan Sabha and Ahmad Hasan, the health and family welfare minister.

Also, a petition about the appointment of information commissioners has been filed in the Supreme Court. The plea requests the court to make it mandatory for those appointed information commissioners in the central information commission to have a legal background. The Supreme Court is yet to pass its final orders in the case.