Appointment of information commissioners: Governor returns file

Thiruvananthapuram: Governor P. Sathasivam has returned recommendations for appointment of  State Chief Information Commissioner and State information commissioners.

The three-member selection committee chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had recommended former Director General of Police Vinson M. Paul for appointment as State Chief Information Commissioner.

Angathil Ajayakumar,  Eby Kuriakose, P. R. Devadas, Roycee Cheriyan Chirayil and K. P. Abdul Majeed were recommended for the posts of information commissioners.

The Governor noted that the recommendations were in violation of the Constitutional provisions and directives of courts. P. R. Devadas was member of the PSC and hence could not be appointed to another post as per provisions of the Constitution. Three others were political workers.

The Governor had received about 30 complaints about the recommendations and these had been sent to the government along with the file. Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan, who was member of the selection committee, had disagreed with the selection and written to the Governor in this regard.