Former Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka, Gujarat cadre IAS officer Amitava Bhattacharya and former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau D P Sinha have been selected as Information Commissioners in the transparency panel, official sources said.
The decision to drop Bassi's candidature was taken in the face of stiff opposition from Congress Leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
Kharge is believed to have presented a note citing several instances including the alleged inaction of Delhi Police during two days of violence in Patiala House Court complex during the hearing of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar's case this week.
However, Bassi, who retires as Delhi's top cop this month end, said he was not disappointed. He had applied for the post.
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"I am happy and have no issues with that (the decision). I am not disappointed," the police chief said, adding that it won't be a legitimate thing to comment further on the decision made by the selection panel.
Julka, a 1979 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, retired as Information and Broadcasting Secretary in August last year.
Under his leadership, the agency had been able to trace the footprints of American-born Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley in India after his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks was unearthed by the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Besides the Prime Minister, the meeting was attended by
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Kharge. Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh also attended the meeting as a special invitee.
There is a vacancy of three Information Commissioners against its total strength of 10. With today's decision, all vacancies in the CIC will be filled up.
The meeting of the selection panel was held to meet Supreme Court's six-week deadline for the appointments. The apex court had on January 8, asked the government to appoint three Information Commissioners within six weeks.
A 1977-batch IPS officer, Bassi's name was shortlisted last November by a search committee headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha.