Ranchi: Four information commissioners, who were appointed last month after a gap of nearly six years, took oath of office at the Lok Bhavan on Wednesday. With this, the state information commission would become active again.Governor Santosh Gangwar administered the oath to retired journalist Anup Sinha, besides Shivpujan Pathak, Amulya Neeraj Khalko, and Tanuj Khatri in the presence of chief minister (CM) Hemant Soren, cabinet ministers, and other dignitaries.Thousands of RTI appeals are pending for resolution owing to the non-functional commission. “Hopefully, things will be fast-tracked now with hearing of pending RTI pleas,” said an official at the Commission.The Lok Bhavan had on June 10 approved the panel of four names for the post of information commissioners with an “unusual rider” after returning their names earlier in the wake of several objections to a few from various quarters. The post of chief information commissioner is lying vacant since May 8, 2020.While approving the names, the Lok Bhavan said, “The Governor has granted approval for these appointments subject to certain conditions. He has directed the state govt to ensure the early appointment of a chief information commissioner for the Jharkhand state information commission so that the Commission’s work can be conducted smoothly and effectively. The Governor also clarified that if any procedural error is found in the appointment process or if any question arises regarding compliance with the Supreme Court orders in this matter, the state govt will bear full responsibility.”
