Governor sends CIC file back to govt

GOVERNOR TV Rajeswar has sought clarifications from the government over its recommendation to appoint former High Court Justice MA Khan to the coveted post of the first Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Uttar Pradesh under provisions of the recently-implemented Right to Information Act.

GOVERNOR TV Rajeswar has sought clarifications from the government over its recommendation to appoint former High Court Justice MA Khan to the coveted post of the first Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Uttar Pradesh under provisions of the recently-implemented Right to Information Act.

HT Image

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav held a meeting with leader of the opposition Lalji Tandon and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan to finalise the name of the first-ever CIC on Feb 3. Only Justice MA Khan’s name came up for discussion. A unanimous decision was taken to recommend his name to the Governor. However, the Governor referred the file back to the State Government with queries which are yet to be answered.

Justice Khan, who retired on November 30 last year, was in the thick of a controversy after he had rejected a writ petition filed by the BSP regarding defection by 40 BSP MLAs who had joined the Mulayam Government. The petition was rejected without consulting or taking the fellow judge Justice Jagdish Bhalla into confidence. Justice Bhalla had reserved his judgement. Later, the issue was referred to a three-judge bench, which is scheduled to give its verdict on February 28.

Meanwhile, advocate general Virendra Bhatia claimed that the Administrative and Judicial Reforms Commission did not exist, contradicting newspaper reports that Justice MA Khan was appointed chairman of the said commission.