Activists criticise AN Tiwari’s appointment as information commission chief

AN Tiwari may have taken the oath of office to succeed Wajahat Habibullah as the next chief information commissioner. However, this has agitated information activists.

On their blogs, they have slammed the government for executing the appointment while the nation was distracted by the Ayodhya verdict.

Blogs and group mails dedicated to the Right to Information (RTI) like Humjanenge and rti4empowerment have seen comments from activists across India. “This is certainly not a welcome appointment for RTI applicants like me,” read one mail from Rejimon CK. He added, “Only relief is that he will be retiring soon. Politicians have the final say which is drafted and vetted by babus.”

Tiwari’s appointment came after the government was unable to decide on Habibullah’s successor. The appointment will be a stop-gap arrangement. Tiwari is expected to retire in October.

VB Singh, an activist who has blogged, suggests exploring the possibility of filing a petition before an appropriate court to quash Tiwari’s appointment, after perusal of his previous records.

“The only reason we may not file it is because we do not have to bear with him for five years,” read a blog by Gujarat-based JP Shah. He called for improving RTI implementation and appointment of a more competent CIC after Tiwari.

“On what merit have they made him a stop-gap information commissioner? His past decisions have not reposed confidence amongst people,” said Krishnaraj Rao, another activist on a blog.
Singh wrote, “Judicial scrutiny of any appointment will have a lasting effect as no one can cross the line drawn by court. Arbitrary appointment of information commissioners by politicians for their gain can be avoided this way.”

Commissioners are supposed to be appointed after they get numerous applications and are expected to be from various strata of life. Appointing retired bureaucrats has been the trend. Activists have been complaining about Tiwari’s appointment as he was selected when he was secretary of the department of personnel and training under which the selections of commissioners are done.

“Why must they appoint people who will retire in a month? After him, they will get another babu. They seem to be doing this to avoid some kind of a judgement,” added Krishnaraj.