Bombay High Court asks Maharashtra government to file affidavit on info chief's power

The Bombay high court on Monday directed the state government to submit an affidavit on the PIL filed by an RTI activist stating that the chief information commissioner (CIC) encroached on the jurisdiction of the governor. The affidavit has to be filed in three weeks. The order was given by chief justice Mohit Shah and justice BP Colabawalla of the Bombay high court.

What exactly is the issue?
Due to vacancy and mounting second appeals, state CIC Ratnakar Gaikwad had changed the bench of Ravindra Jadhav, information commissioner of the Amravati bench, to Pune bench.

What's the problem in it?
RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar, who filed the PIL, questioned the move of the commissioner. In the PIL, he stated that the info chief misused his power under the RTI Act. He contended that he can only supervise the functioning and that appointing a commissioner to a bench can be done only by the governor. Anil Galgali, another activist who too had complained on the issue, had written to the government on the powers of the commissioner and its appointment. He was told that names for commissioners are to be recommended by a committee led by the chief minister and the appointments done by the governor.

What does CIC have to say?
state chief information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad did not reply to the message sent by dna. The next hearing of the case is scheduled to be heard on February 9.