The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘IAS officials unsuitable for CIC’s post’

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Friday, Mar 28, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘IAS officials unsuitable for CIC’s post’

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The appointment of IAS officers to the post of Chief Information Commissioner amounts to doing disservice to people and the spirit of the Right to Information Act, said former minister and Legislative Council Chairperson B.K. Chandrashekar.

Speaking at a seminar on the RTI Act, organised by the Information Department here on Thursday, he said that IAS officers are always “used to withholding information” and cannot be expected to give information freely when appointed to the post. People should demand that suitable amendment be made to the Act so that people from other professions can be appointed to the post.

Underlining the need to link RTI and Lokayukta, he said that politicians tend to submit reports on assets with the rider that it should not be disclosed to the public. This, he added, defeats the purpose of the Act. Mr. Chandrashekar told Information Commissioner H.N. Krishna, who presided over the function, that the commission had failed to submit annual reports to the Legislature for two years. Mr. Krishna promised that the reports would be submitted within a week.

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