While the Goa Government has rightly decided to reinitiate the process of selecting the State Information Commissioner, the Goa Governor Mr. B.V.Wanchoo should also not consent to the proposed illegal appointment of Mrs. Leena Mehendale as Goa’s Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).
The move to appoint Leena Mehandale as the Chief Information Commissioner would be contrary to law and in rank violation of the Supreme Court directives in the Namit Sharma case. As mandated by law the State Information Commission has to be a multi member body. The whole issue needs to be rightly examined by the Law department before any pointless appointment is made. Leena Mehendale has obtained her Law degree only after her retirement in 2010. So how does she qualify to be having the required wide experience and knowledge of law? Besides appointing Leena Mehendale as CIC would be a futile exercise as she would have tenure of just over a year. It is surprising that Leena Mehendale who is currently a member of the Central Administrative Tribunal is now hectically lobbying for the post of CIC. It is imperative that only a Goan should head the State Information Commission. Is Goa so intellectually bankrupt that it cannot find an appropriate person? The Goa government having miserably failed for the third time in the selection of Information Commissioners should now seek the help of the High Court to properly constitute the State Information Commission in accordance with law. The Chief Information Commissioner being a very high position could seek the services of Bombay High Court Justice A.P.Lavande who is due to retire next week on August 19th. The government should also take action against the three member committee headed by Chief Secretary B. Vijayan for having had high handedly short listed the name of Sandesh Prabhudesai for the post of State Information Commissioner without his application and even not. knowing his educational qualification. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
