The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : ‘Appoint former HC judges in information panel’

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Friday, Apr 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

‘Appoint former HC judges in information panel’

Staff Reporter

To dispose of petitions soon

Government is considering increase in number of Commissioners
They will help the panel perform better

Coimbatore: The Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) has requested the Chief Minister to appoint former judges of the Madras High Court as Information Commissioners especially at a time when the Government was considering increase in the number of Commissioners in the panel.

In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, the Secretary of CCC, K. Kathirmathiyon, pointed out that the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission with two Commissioners and one Chief Information Commissioner was functioning well.

Pending

With petitions mounting, many were pending before the Commission for even a year. Unless the information sought was provided within a reasonable time, the purpose of the Right to Information Act and the Commission may not be achieved.

Hence, the CCC had been requesting for increasing the number of members, so that the petitions could be disposed of soon.

Mr.Kathirmathiyon pointed out that the consumer organisation was given to understand that the Government had now proposed to appoint four more Information Commissioners.

As per the Right to Information Act, the Government could appoint persons of eminence in public life with knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, administration and governance etc. as Information Commissioners.

At present, all the three Commissioners were retired civil servants.

The CCC suggested that some of the new members could be from the judiciary i.e. retired judges of the High Court.

It would help the Commission to perform even better, Mr. Kathirmathiyon said.

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