State refuses CIC application details

The state government on Sunday declined to provide details of the officers who have applied for the post of state chief information commissioner stating that the file was with the chief minister's office. The reply was given by the general administration department (GAD) which looks after the Right to Information Act.

The application was filed by applicant, Anil Galgali, who had sought to know since when the post was vacant, people who have applied, the work done towards filling the post and at what stage is the file pending.

The reply stated that the post is pending since May when former state chief information commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad, retired. For the remaining, the response said that the list of names can be provided once the decision is taken from the chief minister's office.

The vacancy of the state chief commissioner's post along with that of other commissioners was recently raised by RTI activist. On September 19, DNA had reported how the state information commission was reeling under the highest pending appeals ever.

"I wanted to know why they have not made an appointment. Even if a person is to double up, it does not reduce the pending appeals because the work suffers. They should have ideally taken a decision of filling up the post earlier. It seems that they want to appoint a retired bureaucrat who favours them," said Galgali.