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PANAJI, October 25, 2013Mehendale takes over as Goa CIC
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‘Priority to clearing backlog of complaints and RTI applications’
Governor Of Goa Bharat Vir Wanchoo (first from right) swearing in Leena Mehendale as Chief Information Commissioner at Raj Bhavan in Panaji on Thursday.
Leena Mehendale, former Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, was on Thursday sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Goa by governor B. V. Wanchoo at Raj Bhavan.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and other dignitaries were present. Ms. Mehendale will formally take charge of the Commission on Monday.
Ms. Mehendale took over nearly three months after her selection on July 29 by a high level committee headed by Chief Minister. Her selection was approved by the cabinet on August 14. She resigned as Member of the Mumbai bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal before taking over as CIC.
The post of CIC has been lying vacant for more than 15 months and RTI applications and complaints before it are piling up.
Taking charge
Speaking to presspersons after her swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan on Thursday, Ms. Mehendale said her immediate priority would be to clear the pending appeals and complaints at the Goa State Information Commission (GSIC).
She emphasised on training the people to use the RTI as tool of empowerment in the best interest of democracy.
Responding to a question about growing misuse of RTI, Ms. Mehendale admitted that it was indeed happening, but “one should be able to separate grain from chaff”.
When asked how she could function as a single member of the GSIC when a Bombay High Court ruling states that the SIC has to be a multi-member body, Ms. Mehendale said the Supreme Court had clarified later that it could function and as such there would be no problem for her in functioning.
She added that the State government had initiated the process of appointing State Information Commissioners (SICs) and in due course of time they would be appointed.
Speaking to presspersons separately at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “Technically, we have only one post of SIC for the GSIC. Therefore, we will have to take a decision of the Cabinet to create another post. That would be done and the process for filling up the SICs posts would be taken up in right earnest”.
Opposition
Earlier this week the Bombay High Court at Goa dismissed a writ petition filed by RTI activist Aires Rodrigues challenging Ms. Mehendale’s appointment as CIC. The High Court order observed that the recommendation by the high-powered committee was done in a “reasonably appropriate manner”.
Adv. Rodrigues said he and other supporting activists would approach the people’s Court against the appointment of Ms. Mehendale as CIC. Stating that while the government on one side was clamouring and blowing the trumpet of Special Status for Goa, Adv. Rodrigues and Advocate Rui Fereire said it was despicable that on the other hand the government was ‘importing’ a CIC from Maharashtra.
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