Maharashtra issues GR for appointing assistants to Information Commissioners

[karira]

The Maharashtra Govt. has issued a GR for appointment of support staff at very senior levels in the State Information Commission.

The GR is in Marathi and attached to this post.

[Yogi M. P. Singh]

Sponsorer

Hon'ble members. Thanks to God. Government of Maharashtra is leaving its lackadaisical approach and procrastination towards transparency act. Once I was taking a glance of news section of RTI India, in which one of the news stories, Ashok Chavan made allegation on RTI news portal that portal subvert the actual news stories through comments. For kind information, comments are individual views of learned members of august forum whose single point motive is promotiotion of R.T.I. Act 2005 and bringup the actual fact before common people. I am also a member of this august forum although junior but never felt discrimination in the cordial atmosphere of community. Here always senior members guide me and always impartial in making comments to the events stories taking place in our surroundings regarding R.T.I. Act 2005. Thanks state government , for taking steps in order to promote RTI although too much delay.

[karira]

Yogi M P Singh,

I think that you have not understood the GR properly since it is in Marathi.

This GR is illegal since it provides for an appointment of an IC (in Mumbai) till the scheduled date of retirement of Ramanand Tiwari (Feb 2013). It also provides for the terms of such an appointment.

The RTI Act itself provides for 1 CIC + 10 ICs in every SIC - so where is the need to create an additional post ?
No state government is allowed to create additional posts. ICs have to be as per the provisions of the ACT and not according to some GR (even if they are temporary).

Maharashtra currently has only 4 ICs (no CIC at present). Nothing stops the Govt. from appointing 6 more ICs, as per the Act.

Then why this GR ?

[Yogi M. P. Singh]

Hon'ble Karira Sir. I couldn't understand GR enacted by Maharashtra Government because it was in Marathi. Good impression was due to title Maharashtra issues GR for appointing assistants to Information Commissioners ie state government is going to well staff the SIC. In view of your friend that was a positive step in the direction of implementation of transparency act. No any RTI activist can ever think of assistent information commissioners when there is no such provision under transparency act and vacant posts of information commissioners are to be filledup. Thanks Sir for bringingup to my notice the mistake committed by me.

[karira]

As reported by Prajakta Chavan in hindustantimes.com on 03 May 2012:
State creates new post of information chief for city - Hindustan Times

State creates new post of information chief for city

Taking the increasing number of pending appeals in Greater Mumbai into account, the state government has created the post of state information commissioner for the region. The move will ensure that the region gets a full-time information commissioner, who has been missing since the suspension of Ramanand Tiwari.

Former principal secretary of urban development department and information commissioner Tiwari has been under suspension since January 20, 2011, because of his alleged involvement in the Adarsh society scam.

Under the provisions of the RTI Act, the procedure to sack Tiwari is time-consuming. So, the government has found a middle path by temporarily creating an additional post of information commissioner who will handle the work till Tiwari’s tenure ends in February 2013.

“Under the act, it is difficult to appoint a new information commissioner in place of Tiwari. So, an additional post has been created for the stipulated period. After Tiwari’s retirement, the post will be vacant and new appointment will be made,” said a senior official.

Though the Government Resolution (GR) regarding creation of new post was issued last week, the procedure of appointing the information commissioner has not been mentioned.

Meanwhile, little has been done to fill the post of state chief information commissioner and two information commissioners since the past one year.