https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Retired IAS, IPS Officers Among Applicants for Information Commissioner Posts in Karnataka

According to the KIC, over 35 applicants are retired officials, ranging from a retired chief engineer from the Public Works Department to former IAS officers and judges.
Indian Masterminds Stories

In Karnataka, 184 individuals, including retired IAS and IPS officers, district judges, and a former KPSC member, have applied for the roles of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioner. These positions hold significant authority under the Right to Information Act (RTI) to make decisions on information requests.

Crisis in the Karnataka Information Commission

The Karnataka Information Commission (KIC), which serves as the ultimate authority for RTI applicants seeking information, is currently facing a crisis due to six vacant commissioner posts, including the Chief Information Commissioner, which has been unfilled for the past two months.

On June 11, the state government invited applications for the positions of CIC and Information Commissioner. Eligible candidates were required to submit their applications to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) by July 15.

Retired Officials Among Applicants

According to the KIC, over 35 applicants are retired officials, ranging from a retired chief engineer from the Public Works Department to former IAS officers and judges.

Notable applicants include retired IAS officers H R Mahadev, Mamata B R, and Richard Vincent D’Souza; retired IPS officers Kamal Pant (former Bengaluru police commissioner), Sunil Agarwal, Ashit Mohan Prasad, and S N Siddaramappa; as well as at least five retired district judges and several former government secretariat officials.

Controversial Application for CIC Post

H C Sathyan, a former transport department employee who was appointed Information Commissioner in 2022 despite a pending disproportionate assets case, has also applied for the CIC post. The case, filed by Lokayukta, is currently ongoing in the Mysuru District and Sessions Court. The Karnataka High Court issued a notice last year to the state government regarding Sathyan’s appointment despite the unresolved case.

Concerns Over Transparency

J M Rajashekhar, an RTI activist from Haveri, expressed concerns about the government’s handling of the RTI Act. “It is unfortunate that the government entertains applications from retired officers who have lived on taxpayers’ money their entire lives. There is a dire need to strengthen the KIC in the interest of transparency in governance. We urge the government to set aside political affiliations while making the selection,” he stated.


Indian Masterminds Stories
Related Stories
NEWS
IAS-Officer-Logo
IAS Siddharth Mahajan’s Tenure as Joint Secretary Extended in Department of Commerce
IRS Officers ndian revenue Services
IRS Vikas Singh Appointed Director in Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Inter cadre Transfer
Two IPS Officer Given Inter-cadre Transfer on the Grounds of Marriage; Check Names Here
Alka Tiwari IAS
Jharkhand: IAS Alka Tiwari Appointed New Chief Secretary Ahead of Elections
Bibek Debroy
Remembering Bibek Debroy: The Economist Who Bridged Ancient Wisdom and Modern Policy
Ministry_of_CorporateAffairs(Corporate)MCA
IRS Kiran Reddy T Appointed Director, Ministry of Corporate Affairs
bribery
Two IRS & Three CGST SIs Arrested By CBI In "Rs. 50 Lakh" Bribery Case
West bengal Government WB
West Bengal: IAS Ravi Kumar Meena Made SDO, Arambagh-Hooghly
Videos
Prakash Singn IPS
Mulayam Singh Introduced Casteism in Police Force
WhatsApp Image 2024-10-25 at 21.23
Why Only Soldiers? Can’t Politicians or Civilians Sacrifice Too?
IMG-20241022-WA0016
IAS Officer’s Mission to Combat Breast Cancer in Rural India | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Tejas Krishna Prasad
How COVID-19 Led an Olympic Marksman to Crack UPSC
IAS-Officer-Logo
IAS Siddharth Mahajan’s Tenure as Joint Secretary Extended in Department of Commerce
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Prakash Singn IPS
WhatsApp Image 2024-10-25 at 21.23
IMG-20241022-WA0016
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT