Information commission crippled as appeals mount

The Times of India: Goa: Sunday, October 07, 2012.

The pendency of appeals and complaints before the state information commission has increased to around 1,000 but there seems no end in sight to the vacancies of the two top posts of the commission. Sources in the information commission admitted that the logjam is hindering information-seeking citizens.

Former chief information commissioner Motilal Keny retired at the end of July and the post has been lying vacant since. The post of information commissioner, after being half-heartedly filled by former medical doctor Pradeep Paudwal from early August, also fell vacant after he resigned after about a month, following a Supreme Court order mandating the appointment of a judicial member and an expert to hear RTI-related cases.

The director of information, Swapnil Naik, who is the link officer to the information commission with the government, told TOI that he has already moved the file for the appointments of the chief information commissioner and the information commissioner and that the government has forwarded the file to the advocate general for advice.

Since the Supreme Court judgment, there are new guidelines for filling the posts in the information commission. But official sources said that the state government has filed a review application before the SC urging it to review its order. Also, there is no firm decision by the government on the resignation of Paudwal yet. Sources hinted that the government is probably awaiting the SC's decision on its review application to decide on the matter. Sources also said that the matter could take at least one month.

There were about 24 applications for the post of chief information commissioner but following the SC judgment and the changed guidelines, the posts have to be re-advertised. When asked when this would be done, Naik said it would be done "as soon as possible". He also remarked that the SC judgment is 102-pages-long and that the file for appointing the two posts has been sent for legal advice.

Chief minister Manohar Parrikar said that the government has decided that the same committee that is considering the appointment of the Goa Lokayukta will also look into the appointment of the post of state chief information commissioner. The government seems caught in a bind because the filling of just one post will not do. This is because the SC has mandated that the information commission has to now have sittings as a bench and not individually as done before.TNN