Supreme Court To Consider Next Week Issue Of Vacancies In Central Information Commission

The matter was heard by the division bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari.

Appearing for the RTI activist, Advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted that the Central Government was in grave non-compliance of the directions of the Court.

Bhushan submitted :

"There are 3 issues:

1. With respect to filling up vacancies. They say that there are 10 vacancies & they say up to 7 are okay. 3 orders of this court say that all 11 vacancies need to be filled.

2. They were asked to notify the shortlisting criteria. They haven't done that

3. There was a journalist who was appointed; just because he is a journalist who echoes whatever the government does, doesn't mean that they'll appoint him to the post."

When Bhushan said that the matter was listed to consider the issue of vacancies, Justice Abdul Nazeer said, "Mr Bhushan, you are only concentrating on presiding officers and not infrastructure. What will they do with the presiding officers, when there is no infrastructure?"

 Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan submitted that the Union has filed an affidavit showing compliance.

The Supreme Court on August 18, 2021, had directed the States to file status reports indicating the vacancy positions and pendency of appeals in the State Information Commissions.

Case Title: Anjali Bhardwaj and others v.Union of India and others, M.A 1979/2019 in WP(c) 436.2018)