HC wants secretary to answer queries on info chief appointment

The petitioner had enclosed copies of noting sheets for appointing Chander Parkash and Bidhi Chand as State Information Commissioners,and had alleged that their appointments were made by the chief minister in a pick and choose manner before completing the procedural formality of getting their names approved by a Statutory Selection Committee comprising the chief minister,a cabinet minister and the leader of opposition.

Arora alleged that no applications were invited from any aspiring and eligible candidates before approving the two names for appointment as information commissioners.

During the resumed hearing of the PIL,a division bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi put several questions to the Punjab law officer. The Bench questioned as to “”ow the government discovered that the two persons wanted to be appointed as information commissioners; how did the government know that no other eligible persons were willing to be appointed for the post; whether any search committee was formed for considering and recommending candidates to the selection committee and as to who were members of the search committee.

When the law officer failed to respond to the queries,the Bench ordered that Secretary of the department of information and technology shall remain present in court on January 9.

The petitioner,today,filed an application seeking directions to restrain the government from administering oath of office and for not permitting the four newly appointed state information commissioners: Surinder Awasthy,Narinderjeet Singh,Ravinder and Harinder Singh Mann. The application will come up for hearing on January 9.