By Aires Rodrigues
The three member high level committee comprising of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and Urban Development Minister Francis D’ Souza today selected a staunch BJP supporter Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni as the next State Information Commissioner. During Mr. Parrikar’s earlier tenure as Chief Minister Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni was appointed as Chairman of Goa SSC Board.
The selection of Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni for the post of State Information Commissioner would now go to the Goa Governor B V Wanchoo for his approval he being the appointing authority.
27 had applied for the post of State Information Commissioner which draws a salary equivalent to the Chief Secretary of around Rs 1, 20,000 a month and has a term of five years.
A committee headed by Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava had short listed three names from the 27 who applied. The candidates short listed were an IAS officer Mr. D.C.Sahoo who has retired on 31st May, Dr Pradip Padwal former Director of Goa AIDS Society and Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni. It may be recalled that Mr. Sahoo in 2001 while Managing Director of Industrial Development Corporation was allegedly caught red handed accepting a bribe by the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
It is a sad day for the RTI movement in the State as the selection of the State Information Commissioner was not on merit but a political choice. The Lokayukta and Information Commission needs to be totally free from political control. The unjust and unfair manner in which the Information Commissioner has been handpicked by the Chief Minister is a matter of concern.
The recently retired Principal of Salgaoncar College of Law Dr. Marian Pinheiro, has been deliberately sidelined though evidently being the most qualified and suitable for the post from amongst the list of 27 applicants.
Section 15(5) of the RTI Act requires that the State Information Commissioner should be a person of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
The selection process for such an important position could not have been a mere cosmetic exercise. The Right to Information Act being a vital evolving law it is imperative that the State Information Commissioner should be a person with a sound legal background.
In view of the lack of transparency and accountability in such appointments, the Supreme Court has recently expressed the need to select the Information Commissioner in a very transparent manner.
Amongst the 27 who had applied for the post of Goa State Information Commissioner were former Principal of Sanjay School Anyssia Viegas, former government servants N.P Varde, K.B Surjuse, Narayan Narvekar, Vishwanth Sawant, former Judge Sudin Sangodkar, a teacher Sarvanand Sawant Desai and a Chartered Accountant Surendra Kerkar. Former State Consumer Commission member Sandra Correia and a current member Dhananjay Jog also applied along with Suresh Raikar, R.B.Shirwaikar, Vijay Gaonkar, Vinita Harlankar besides social activists John Filipe Pereira and Juino de Souza. Six advocates who had thrown their hat in the ring are Julius Gomes, Sanjiv Sardesai, M.S.Joshi, Cynthia Pereira, Krutika Kande and Gynasham Poi. Applications for the State Information Commissioner’s post had to be submitted to the Director of Information and incidentally the current Information Director Mr. Menino Peres who is due to retire later this year had himself also applied for the coveted post.
The three member high level committee comprising of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and Urban Development Minister Francis D’ Souza today selected a staunch BJP supporter Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni as the next State Information Commissioner. During Mr. Parrikar’s earlier tenure as Chief Minister Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni was appointed as Chairman of Goa SSC Board.
The selection of Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni for the post of State Information Commissioner would now go to the Goa Governor B V Wanchoo for his approval he being the appointing authority.
27 had applied for the post of State Information Commissioner which draws a salary equivalent to the Chief Secretary of around Rs 1, 20,000 a month and has a term of five years.
A committee headed by Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava had short listed three names from the 27 who applied. The candidates short listed were an IAS officer Mr. D.C.Sahoo who has retired on 31st May, Dr Pradip Padwal former Director of Goa AIDS Society and Mr. Pandurang Nadkarni. It may be recalled that Mr. Sahoo in 2001 while Managing Director of Industrial Development Corporation was allegedly caught red handed accepting a bribe by the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
It is a sad day for the RTI movement in the State as the selection of the State Information Commissioner was not on merit but a political choice. The Lokayukta and Information Commission needs to be totally free from political control. The unjust and unfair manner in which the Information Commissioner has been handpicked by the Chief Minister is a matter of concern.
The recently retired Principal of Salgaoncar College of Law Dr. Marian Pinheiro, has been deliberately sidelined though evidently being the most qualified and suitable for the post from amongst the list of 27 applicants.
Section 15(5) of the RTI Act requires that the State Information Commissioner should be a person of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
The selection process for such an important position could not have been a mere cosmetic exercise. The Right to Information Act being a vital evolving law it is imperative that the State Information Commissioner should be a person with a sound legal background.
In view of the lack of transparency and accountability in such appointments, the Supreme Court has recently expressed the need to select the Information Commissioner in a very transparent manner.
Amongst the 27 who had applied for the post of Goa State Information Commissioner were former Principal of Sanjay School Anyssia Viegas, former government servants N.P Varde, K.B Surjuse, Narayan Narvekar, Vishwanth Sawant, former Judge Sudin Sangodkar, a teacher Sarvanand Sawant Desai and a Chartered Accountant Surendra Kerkar. Former State Consumer Commission member Sandra Correia and a current member Dhananjay Jog also applied along with Suresh Raikar, R.B.Shirwaikar, Vijay Gaonkar, Vinita Harlankar besides social activists John Filipe Pereira and Juino de Souza. Six advocates who had thrown their hat in the ring are Julius Gomes, Sanjiv Sardesai, M.S.Joshi, Cynthia Pereira, Krutika Kande and Gynasham Poi. Applications for the State Information Commissioner’s post had to be submitted to the Director of Information and incidentally the current Information Director Mr. Menino Peres who is due to retire later this year had himself also applied for the coveted post.
