Hindustan
Times: Jabalpur: Wednesday, October 31, 2012.
The Madhya
Pradesh high court on Monday served two weeks’ returnable notices on State
Chief Information Commissioner Iqbal Ahmed during hearing of a public interest
litigation (PIL) challenging appointment process of state chief information
commissioner (CIC) and nine information commissioners (ICs).
Ahmed was
impleaded as respondent into the PIL in a previous hearing. The PIL has been
filed by former RDVV vice chancellor and ex-DGP Arun Gurtu and RTI activist
Ajay Dubey. In May 14, 2012, HC issued notices on the respondents during
hearing on the PIL.
The apex court
has laid down certain criterion in the Namit Sharma Vs Union of India (UOI) and
others case in September 2012 to be followed by the governments in the
appointments of CIC and information commissioners, the petitioners’ counsel
Siddartha Radhelal Gupta said.
The apex
court directives say that the appointment of CICs and ICs at the central/ state
level should be done in a transparent manner by issuing advertisement inviting
applications from all concerned, Gupta said.
Furthermore,
the apex court directed after receiving various applications, the panel should
be prepared of the eligible persons, which should be of the judicial
background, primarily former Chief Justice or judges of the high court.
Also the apex
court directed the appointment shall be in consultation with the chief justice
of the concerned high court, who must have a say in the candidate to be
appointed as CIC of state information commission of any state.
Gupta said
Ahmed does not fulfill any of the apex court’s criterions. He is still
appointed as CIC. Thus his appointment is a sort of backdoor entry and a
political one, the counsel added.
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