A social activist has moved the High Court challenging Goa government's selection of journalist Sandesh Prabhudesai as state information commissioner (SIC), claiming the choice was improper.
The petition is to be heard by the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court tomorrow.
In his petition before the high court, social activist Aires Rodrigues sought that Prabhudesai's appointment be revoked and Goa government restrained from appointing him as SIC.
Pointing out in his petition that the Goa State Information Commission had been constituted and notified with one Chief Information Commissioner and one State Information Commissioner, Rodrigues submitted the selection of a "second" SIC was without jurisdiction, illegal and void.
Prabhudesai's selection for the "non-existent" post, which was not advertised, is arbitrary, discriminatory and violative of the Article 14 and Article 16 of the constitution as it deprived other qualified persons an opportunity to apply for the post of a "second" SIC, the petition said, adding the post of a "second" SIC was "non-existent" and that an advertisement was published only for the post of a single SIC.
The petitioner also submitted Prabhudesai was 'selected' on the basis of a mere recommendation letter from Oscar Rebello, which was surprisingly silent about his educational qualifications, though the appointee himself never applied for the SIC post.
