Absence of rules and criteria allows politicians to induct their own candidate, writes to Chief Secretary
Kohima, November 17 (MExN): Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) led by its president submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary of Nagaland to lay down rules and criteria for induction of State Information Commissioner (SIC) on November 16. A copy of the representation was submitted to the Development Commissioner, Government of Nagaland.
In the representation, NVCO stated that the State government does not have any rules and criteria for induction of State Information Commissioner “which allows the politicians, including the Chief Minister, to take more advantage to induct their own candidate and for the reason best known to them,” stated a press release from Press & Media Cell, NVCO.
As an organization for the welfare of consumers, NVCO said, it “cannot tolerate this kind of selfish indulgence any longer.” Therefore, NVCO sincerely asked the State government to take prompt action in laying down proper rules and criteria for induction of SIC at the earliest “so as not to allow the politicians to bring their own candidate at their own whims and fancies to run one of the highest commissions in the state.”
The organization alleged that the “same selfish practices” have been going on in other several commissions not even sparing the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). NVCO had appealed to the State government through local newspapers to lay down rules and criteria for induction of SIC in early July 2017, the release informed. During the time, it said, another State Information Commissioner was inducted when the SIC was not functioning after its office building was burnt down during the public ULB protest in Kohima. The NVCO has also questioned “why more State Information Commissioner is needed and even two retired engineer at a time.”
The NVCO further referred to its earlier study done on use of RTI across the State and its impact in Nagaland for the last ten years, which stated that composition of Information Commission across the country has a bias towards retired government servants. It highlighted the need to have more balanced composition so that diverse expertise is represented in the commission.
The study titled ‘The impact of Right to Information (RTI) in Nagaland for the last ten years (2006-2016)’ recommended that the process of short listing candidates for appointment to information commissions must be participatory and transparent, allowing public consultation and debate before a shortlist is finally sent to the selection committee. The criteria used for short listing and for selection must be made public, it added.
