Appointment of Information Commissioners by the Punjab Government
3 Dec, 2011Hearing a PIL, the HC had restrained the Government from making any appointment of any person as State Information Commissioner “without following transparency and equitable procedure consistent with Article 14 of the Constitution as enumerated in para no. 72 of the Full Bench judgment” in Salil Sabhlok v. Union of India [CWP No. 11846 of 2011]. This interim order dated 17 November 2011 has been challenged by the State government. The State Government has filed a reply to the PIL wherein the State Government has stated that “the High Court has no power to issue instructions to the State Government having legislative character like prescribing the procedure for appointment.” The PIL is likely to be decided soon.
It needs no mention that that the persons chosen to be Information Commissioners should be eminent persons who can do justice to the post and bring about an era of transparency. Opacity in the process of appointment of the Information Commissioner is likely to give a setback to the credibility and moral authority of the Information Commission.