Panel to select new CIC on December 10 Centre to SC

The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel is likely to meet on December 10 to select and recommend names for the post of Chief Information Commissioner and information commissioners of the Central Information Commission (CIC).

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, which was hearing a plea seeking filling of vacant posts of CIC and State information commissions (SICs), was told by Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, that the meeting has been fixed and notice for it has been sent to the members of the panel.

Under Section 12 (3) of the Right to Information Act, the Prime Minister is the chairperson of the committee, which also comprises the Leader of Opposition and a Union Minister nominated by the Prime Minister, that selects and recommends the names for appointment as Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner. The top court recorded the submission of the ASG and deferred the hearing on the plea. The apex court asked the Chief Secretaries of all the states to submit details of the total strength of SICs, vacant posts in SICs and the number of appeals and complaints pending before the Commissions.  Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioners including Anjali Bhardwaj and others, said that the Government has not filled the vacant posts, which is resulting in piling of cases before the commissions. He said that some states have made two to three appointments and are saying they don’t need to fill all the posts as they have sufficient strength of members to deal with the pendency of cases. 

Bhushan said there are at least seven comprehensive orders of the court in which it had directed the Centre to expeditiously fill up the vacancies in the CIC and SICs.