Times of India: Pune: Thursday, 02 November 2023.
RTI activists said the state government should look beyond appointing retired IAS or IPS officers to fill vacancies in information commissions and instead appoint people of eminence from various domains, a day after the Supreme Court issued a directive in this regard to the central and state governments.
RTI activist and former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said that the selection of the commissioners should not be random appointments. Only people who understood the act and do not treat the appointment as “retirement posting” should be appointed, said Gandhi. The average age of the commissioners should be less than 60 and at least 40% should be RTI activists, he said.
In the state, out of the eight posts for commissioners, only four are occupied. Of them, one person is set to retire by the year-end. Activists have been demanding appointment of eleven commissioners. The state has 1.15 lakh appeals and complaints pending.
RTI activist and vice-president of AAP in the state Vijay Kumbhar said retired bureaucrats may have specific expertise in governance but do not have specific expertise in RTI law and policy. Experts in RTI law and policy, journalists, activists, and academicians should be considered for the post of information commissioner, Kumbhar added.
Activist Vihar Durve, added that the act under section 12 (5) and section 15 (5) mentions that chief information commissioners should be persons of eminence.
RTI activists said the state government should look beyond appointing retired IAS or IPS officers to fill vacancies in information commissions and instead appoint people of eminence from various domains, a day after the Supreme Court issued a directive in this regard to the central and state governments.
RTI activist and former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said that the selection of the commissioners should not be random appointments. Only people who understood the act and do not treat the appointment as “retirement posting” should be appointed, said Gandhi. The average age of the commissioners should be less than 60 and at least 40% should be RTI activists, he said.
In the state, out of the eight posts for commissioners, only four are occupied. Of them, one person is set to retire by the year-end. Activists have been demanding appointment of eleven commissioners. The state has 1.15 lakh appeals and complaints pending.
RTI activist and vice-president of AAP in the state Vijay Kumbhar said retired bureaucrats may have specific expertise in governance but do not have specific expertise in RTI law and policy. Experts in RTI law and policy, journalists, activists, and academicians should be considered for the post of information commissioner, Kumbhar added.
Activist Vihar Durve, added that the act under section 12 (5) and section 15 (5) mentions that chief information commissioners should be persons of eminence.
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