The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has requested Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari to take personal interest and expedite the appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and 10 Information Commissioners (ICs) along with pending staff.
The process needs to gather speed in view of the impending election notification, which could come in the way of the appointments, the FGG said in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary.
FGG secretary M. Padmanabha Reddy lamented that the Information Commission was in a dormant stage since the past six months and appeals were not disposed of and kept piling up for want of commissioners. Close to 12,000 appeals are pending in the commission till date.
He recalled that the State government had called for applications for appointment of the CIC and ICs and 281 applications were reportedly received. The Chief Secretary should strictly adhere to the provisions governing the appointments and ensure that the CIC and ICs should be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
They should not hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession. Appointments were made on political consideration in the past and the matter went up to the Supreme Court where the appointment of ICs was declared illegal, and later these ICs were unseated bringing a bad name to the government.
He reiterated his request to appoint 10 ICs in view of the pendency of appeals in the commission.
