Activists dispute Vinson M Paul 's posting
Why urgency, rights group asks govt
Thiruvananthapuram: The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), which had been waging a relentless battle against the state for strengthening the State Information Commission, has questioned the appointment of Vinson M Paul and six others to the SIC mainly on two grounds.
One, except for the former vigilance director, the five other names recommended are political nominees. Two, they allege an unnecessary haste to appoint Vinson M Paul as CIC more than a month before the retirement of the incumbent Sibi Mathews.
In a letter to Governor Justice P Sathasivam, NCPRI state coordinator M APookoya said: “We urge upon the Governor to call for explanation from the Government for the urgency in filling up of the vacancy of the Chief Information Commissioner and another Commissioner, which will arise only on April 23, 2016.”
At the moment, the SIC is a one-member body, only the chief information commissioner, Mr Siby Mathews, remains. Another member, K Natarajan who is to retire along with the CIC on April, has been in suspension since November 9, 2012.
In the case of four earlier retirements, the state had failed to adhere to the Supreme Court guideline that applications have to be called for three months before the retirement of an incumbent.
“Instruction may be given to submit the list of 12 persons (three times the existing vacancies as per the Supreme Court guidelines) for four information commissioners which should be completed first,” the letter said.
NCPRI had earlier harged the state with filling the SIC with political nominees. The new names, too, are political in nature. “Newspaper reports state that Ajayakumar is a nominee of Janata Dal (U), P R Devadas, a nominee of Viswakarma, another constituent of the ruling front. Roycee Chirayil is a nominee of KC (Mani), and K P Abdul Majeed is a KPCC secretary,” the letter notes.
The RTI Act states that only persons of eminence in public life and with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance should be recommended to the SIC.