The Gujarat Government today appointed retired bureaucrat V S Gadhavi as the new state Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), a post lying vacant since December last year.
Gadhavi, a retired IAS officer, presently serves as one of the four State Information Commissioners of Gujarat Information Commission.
State government has announced the appointment of Gadhavi as the new CIC, an official release said here.
Confirming the developments, Gadhavi said he will now step down from the current post to take charge of CIC.
"I will now resign as the the State Information Commissioner to assume the charge of CIC," Gadhavi told PTI.
The announcement by the government came at a time when the Gujarat High Court is hearing a PIL regarding the appointment of CIC.
The High Court on February 1 sought reply from the state government on a PIL seeking transparency in selection of state CIC.
Through his PIL, petitioner Chandravadan Dhruv sought court's direction to the state government to follow due procedure and ensure that transparency is maintained in the appointment of the next CIC after former CIC Balwant Singh retired on December 5 last year.
The petitioner argued in his petition that the appointment should be expedited as till December 2016, over 5,783 cases are pending before the commission which hears cases related to Right to Information.
In addition, Dhruv had sought court's direction to the government to draw a list of ten eminent persons who meet the criteria for the post and ensure that no bureaucrat is included in the list.
The petition has also sought the court's direction to the government to come out with advertisement seeking application from persons interested for the post.
During the hearing of the case on February 1, the High Court was informed by the government pleader that government is proceeding with the process of appointment of the CIC.
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