The Madhya Pradesh government has formed a three-member committee to fill the vacant posts of information commissioners in the State Information Commission (SIC). The posts are vacant for the last nine months.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, leader of Opposition in legislative Assembly, Ajay Singh and Minister for law and legislative Affairs Narottam Mishra would be the members of the select committee, an official order said.
The committee would have its first meeting on October 11. As many as 234 candidates, including retired bureaucrats, journalists, activists and even industrialists have applied for the posts of information commissioner. The post of chief information commissioner and 10 posts of information commissioner are vacant since December last year.
The move came after Madhya Pradesh High Court, while hearing a Public Interest litigation filed by RTI activist Ajay Dubey, in January directed the State government to fill up the vacant posts.
Dubey had filed the PIl seeking appointment of information commissioners through public advertisements in an open and transparent manner.
According to officials, close to 12,000 appeals and complaints under Right to Information Act are pending with the Madhya Pradesh Information Commission. "There is a need to organise lok Adalats to dispose cases pending with the State Information Commission. The government should appoint information commissioners as early as possible and start hearing the matter," Dubey said. He said the selection committee should ensure representation of tribals and women in the commission to ensure transparency and trust among all sections of society.