Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 7: The post of chief information commissioner (CIC) in the state has been lying vacant for several days.
The other lone information commissioner’s post is also set to fall vacant soon with the tenure of incumbent information commissioner (IC) Pramod Kumar Mohanty set to expire soon.
The government has initiated the process to appoint two ICs, one of who will be appointed as CIC.
The meeting of the selection committee, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and attended by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra and Parliamentary affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, remained inconclusive.
Arukh said the committee was unable to arrive at a decision regarding the appointment of the commissioners, while Mishra said the candidates will be finalized only after thorough scrutiny. Nearly 40 candidates have applied for the two posts and six of them have been shortlisted.
The post of the CIC has been lying vacant ever since the resignation of Tarun Kanti Mishra February 11. The state government has however neither advertised for the post seeking nominations from notable personalities nor has it begun the process for filling up the post.
PK Mohanty is the lone IC in the Orissa Information Commission (OIC) whose term is likely to end soon, sources said.
Meanwhile, Orissa Soochana Adhikar Abhijan, an apex organisation of RTI activists, has demanded a transparent procedure in the appointment of the new commissioners and has asked the state government to declare their background, experience and expertise and other details of the applicants prior to sending their name to the Governor for their appointment.