Sunil Kawthankar, Vice President of the GPCC, has criticised the recent appointment of Atmaram Barve as the State Information Commissioner (SIC). Kawthankar argues that Barve's background as a BJP member and his current role as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant compromise the principles of transparency and accountability mandated by the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Kawthankar pointed out that the RTI Act stipulates that the State Information Officer or Chief Information Secretary should not have political affiliations.
“The RTI Act clearly states that the State Information Officer or Chief Information Secretary, who are affiliate authorities, should not be politically connected. How can the government appoint Barve as the SIC? If we want to find information on corruption within the CM’s office, how will we be able to get that? Will the government give us information against themselves?,” he stated
In response, CM Sawant defended the decision, stating that the criteria for applying for the SIC post are clear: candidates must hold a postgraduate degree and have experience in public administration. He stated that the appointment was made by a three-member committee, including the LoP.
