The Supreme Court of India has expressed strong displeasure over the vacant posts of Information Commissioners in Jharkhand despite repeated directives. It has ordered the immediate filling of these positions.
Hearing a petition on Tuesday, a division bench comprising Justice Suryakant and Justice N. Kotishwar Singh reviewed the Jharkhand government's submissions regarding the matter.
The bench took serious note of Jharkhand’s failure to appoint Information Commissioners, citing the absence of a Leader of Opposition in the Assembly as the reason.
It directed the largest opposition party in the Jharkhand Assembly to nominate one of its elected members to the selection committee within two weeks to enable the commencement of appointments.
The court further instructed the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand to file a compliance affidavit in the matter. The bench also reviewed a supplementary affidavit submitted by the Jharkhand government.
In a broader context, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction over vacancies in the Central Information Commission (CIC) and various State Information Commissions (SICs), directing the Central government to fill these vacancies promptly.
The petition was filed by Jharkhand High Court advocate Shailesh Poddar, who sought the appointment of a Chief Information Commissioner and other Information Commissioners to the Jharkhand State Information Commission.
The posts of Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners have been vacant in Jharkhand since 2020, rendering the State Information Commission inactive.
Consequently, all appeals and complaints remain pending, and hearings have come to a complete halt.
This directive aims to address the long-standing issue and restore the functionality of the Jharkhand State Information Commission.
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