The move by the BJP Government in Goa to give a six month extension to the State Chief Information Commissioner Leena Mehendale is condemnable and has to be strongly opposed. After her disastrous performance Leena Mehendale who is due to retire on 31st January 2015 on completing the age of 65 has made an application seeking a six month extension. Leena Mehendale with her close RSS links is trying to get the very tainted Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni to give a custom made legal opinion to pave her extension. Atmaram Nadkarni is known to twist and twirl the law in giving opinions that suit his political masters and the powers to be. As Section 16(1) of the Right to Information Act clearly prohibits the Chief Information Commissioner from holding office after attaining the age of 65, any extension that may high-handedly be given to Leena Mehendale would be absolutely illegal and contrary to law. A similar move to give an extension to the then State Information Commissioner Afonso Araujo who retired on August 3, 2010 was turned down by the Government after seeking the opinion of the Law and Finance department. The Goa Government must take immediate steps on a priority to select the next Chief Information Commissioner and also fill the long overdue post of State Information Commissioner which is lying vacant since 2010. The selection process should however be in a very transparent manner and strictly in accordance with law. There is need of independent minded persons of eminence who would not succumb to political pulls and pressures to be selected for ensuring the proper implementation of the Right to Information Act in Goa which this government has conveniently scuttled and sabotaged. Unlike Leena Mehandale who then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had brought from Maharashtra despite all his loud talk of Special Status for Goa, the next Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner must be from the Goan soil. We have no dearth of competent and outstanding personalities to don the mettle.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 18:36:05 +0000
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