Dear friends,
Our sources in Mantralaya have informed us that Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad is tipped to become Chief Information Commissioner in November 2012, thanks to the efforts of a Dalit lobby. While we have nothing against Dalits or any other group, we object to lobbying, nepotism and other non-transparent processes of selecting public officials, especially information commissioners.
Since October 2010, RTI in Maharashtra is suffering because of short-term appointments of Chief Information Commissioners (Vilas Patil 9 months, Vijay Kuvlekar 7 months). Before they settle into their jobs and convey their methods of working to the commission staff, it is time for them to retire. Because of this, plus shortage of Information Commissioners, pendency is rising.
We learn that after Mr Kuvlekar retires on February 7, it is planned to nominate Bhaskar Patil (Amravati Bench) as the chief or acting chief, owing to his seniority. This may be a good thing for Mr Patil, but we really must stop accepting such short-term measures. We must strongly ask the CM to appoint a chief who will complete a five-year course. Also, we must insist on transparent selection of five or six information commissioners to hear the piled-up cases.
Accordingly, we have drafted a letter to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. We will dispatch it on Friday, Feb 3 at about 3 pm, with copy to General Administration Department. Please add your names as signatories.
To be a signatory to this letter, please email your name, professional designation and mobile number to grvora1@gmail.com before 1.00 pm on Friday.
Warm Regards,
Krish
98215 88114
DRAFT OF LETTER TO CHIEF MINISTER
To
Prithviraj Chavan
Chief Minister of Maharashtra
6th floor, Mantralaya
Madame Cama Road
Mumbai 400 032
Copy to: Principal Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD),
New Administrative Bldg., Opp. Mantralaya, Mumbai - 400032.
3 February 2012
Stop Mantralaya-Politics & Musical Chairs in Maharashtra Chief SIC appointments.
Please advertize for applications from General Public,
and have transparent selections for State Info Commissioners.
Sir,
It is with great anguish that we are writing this letter to you. We have learned from the inner circles at Mantralaya that the Right to Information movement in our beloved State is being held hostage to the personal ambitions of influential bureaucrats. The Chief State Information Commissioner's post is being involved in the inside-politics of Mantralaya.
Specifically, we learn with shock and concern that the seat of Chief Information Commissioner is being kept vacant for Mr Ratnakar Gaikwad, so that he can take it up after he retires in November 2012 (retirement in May, plus six months extension). We are given to understand that a Dalit lobby among bureaucrats is actively promoting the prospects of Mr Gaikwad in this regard.
To keep the seat warm for Mr Gaikwad after the present Acting Chief SIC Vijay Kuvlekar retires on February 7, SIC Bhaskar Patil of Amravati Bench is to be made Acting Chief SIC. Very conveniently for Mr Gaikwad, SIC Bhaskar Patil is due to retire in nine months.
Sir, Maharashtra is suffering due to this game of musical chairs. Since the retirement of Chief SIC Suresh Joshi in October 2010, there have been two short-term chiefs, namely Chief SIC Vilas Patil (nine months) and Mr Kuvlekar (seven months).
Short-term chiefs and shortage of Information Commissioners are causing hardships to the Commission staff, who are unable to perform their duties. In the prevailing confusion, the pendency has crossed 20,000 and os rising at an alarming rate of 2000 cases per month. After Mr Kuvlekar's retirement this week, there will be only four Commissioners manning nine posts or benches (Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati, Nagpur, Konkan, Brihanmumbai, plus Chief SIC's post). This means that the pendency will rise even faster.
Sir, you were made the Chief Minister last year specifically for cleaning up the administration of Maharashtra. Before that, you were Union minister-of-state in charge of DOPT, which that oversees implementation of RTI Act all over India. So it is highly improper for you to allow this state of affairs to prevail in Maharashtra.
The Supreme Court has mandated in 2011 that appointments of such posts should be done by a transparent procedure. (Please read summary & highlights: http://tinyurl.com/SC-Verdict-CVC-appointment )
Honouring this verdict, DOPT issued a circular on October 29, 2011, calling for applications to the post of Central Information Commissioner. Sir, we urge you to do likewise in Maharashtra.
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, Mr Eknath Khadse, has publicly taken a stance in favour of transparent selections. Shri Anna Hazare also has stressed transparent selections of SIC by due procedure, after attracting applications from eminent citizens:
- Annaji's letter to State Govt in Marathi:
http://tinyurl.com/Anna-Hazare-letr-SIC-Marathi
- English translation of Annaji's letter:
http://tinyurl.com/Anna-Hazare-letr-SIC-English
Earlier, in 2007, even General Administration Department (GAD) advised Maharashtra Govt. to advertise and attract applications from eminent citizens for the post of Information Commissioners:
http://tinyurl.com/GAD-advise-Advertise-SICs-post
Sir, it is our respectful submission that further delay in this matter may force RTI activists of Maharashtra to agitate and also approach High Court. Such events will not do honour to this Congress-led government.
We humbly request you to commence transparent selections of Maharashtra State Information Commissioners this month without further delay.
Yours sincerely,
(Name, Address & Contact Details)
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