JAYA BRANDS CIC SELECTION ‘ILLEGAL’

Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, J Jayalalithaa, termed as ‘illegal’ the selection of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) – the name has been send to the Governor for approval – as the State Government failed to provide her details of the eligible aspirants in advance.

In a statement on Wednesday, Jayalalithaa explained why she had boycotted the meeting for the selection of CIC and accused Chief Minister M Karunanidhi of hiding facts.
As a member of the appointing committee, she wanted to attend the meeting when she received the invitation. But when some social and RTI (Right to Information) activists appealed to her to ensure transparency in the appointment of the CIC as they found the functioning of the state information commission to be shoddy with long delays in the settling cases, she sought details of the candidates who were in the reckoning for the CIC post.
When the Government replied that the applications would be placed before the committee on August 23 at 5 pm, she wrote back that holding back details about aspirants from her was tantamount to partiality as the other two members – the Chief Minster and a minister chosen by him – had access to the information. It was also a case of depriving her, her right as a panel member, she said.
The Government replied that in 2005 the details of aspirants were not circulated before the meeting and Jayalalithaa wrote back that no one had asked for them then.