Appoint ICS within 3 mths: SC to govt

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday directed the Centre and state governments to appoint information commissioners within three months in the Central Information Commission (CIC) and the State Information Commissions (SICS), and said there was a need to evolve guidelines to stop misuse of the Right to Information Act.

It also directed the authorities concerned to put on website the names of members of search committee, meant for selection and appointment of CIC’S information commissioners (ICS), within two weeks. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the submission of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for activist Anjali Bhardwaj, that the Centre and various states have not complied with the February 15 judgement of the apex court asking them to appoint ICS in the CIC and the SICS within 1-6 months in a transparent manner.

“We direct the Centre and the states to conclude the appointment within three months,” said the bench, also comprising justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, and added that a contempt petition may be filed if its order is not complied with.

The apex court, in its February 15 verdict, had said that selection of information officers should include people of eminence from various other fields and not be limited to bureaucrats and the exercise be conducted in a transparent manner.

It had also directed the Centre and eight states -- West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karanataka -- to fill up the vacancies of ICS in the CIC and SICS without any delay within a period of one month t o si x months. The bench was hearing an interim application filed by one Anjali Bhardwaj seeking a direction to government authorities on implementation of top court’s order asking them to appoint ICS within a stipulated time and in a transparent manner.