PM-led panel to meet again next week to select new CIC, CVC
The Prime Minister-led selection committees on Saturday could not select chiefs of the Central Information Commission (CIC) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and decided to meet again sometime next week.
The Prime Minister-led selection committees on Saturday could not select chiefs of the Central Information Commission (CIC) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and decided to meet again sometime next week.
The panel with home minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Arun Jaitley and leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as members asked the government to submit a list of shortlisted candidates for it to take a final view.
The members were circulated a list of 203 applications for the post of CIC and 132 for the post of CVC. In addition, names of 532 people who had applied for the three vacant posts of information commissioners were also given to the members just before the meeting, sources said. As it would have been difficult for them to select names from the entire list, the Cabinet Secretariat was asked to prepare a shortlist for each category.
Earlier this week, the government had told the Delhi high court that candidates had been shortlisted on the basis of intelligence reports. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain had also said the meeting of the selection committee would be held soon.
The Saturday meeting was held in the wake of the high court reserving its final order on a PIL seeking appointment of the CIC and the three information commissioners.
“There were certain more details to be obtained in reference of the candidates under consideration. Therefore, it was decided that another meeting will be called next week at a mutually convenient date,” Union minister Jitendra Singh said.
The fact that the government has not yet appointed heads of the statutory bodies was raised by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on May 6 in Parliament.
The CIC has been working without its chief for over nine months. Besides, there is a vacancy of three Information Commissioners in the CIC. Several RTI activists have blamed the delay for increasing pendency.
Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.