PANJIM: The Cabinet on Friday approved the appointment of a Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and two State Information Commissioners (SICs). On August 31, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had announced the names of Prashant Tendulkar as CIC and Pratima Vernekar and Juino D’Souza as SICs.
At the post Cabinet briefing, the chief minister said their appointment was delayed due to several reasons including their character certificates and police verification. “The names will now be recommended to Governor Mridula Sinha, and we expect her nod in the next one week or so,” Parsekar said.
The names for the three posts were finalised by the three-member committee consisting of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza and Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane.
Tendulkar is the former additional president of the Goa State Administrative Tribunal, South. Vernekar is senior public prosecutor, while D’Souza is a lawyer and a social activist.
The post of CIC has been vacant since January 2015, after the tenure of Leena Mehendale, while no SIC has been appointed since September 2012, following the departure of Dr Pradeep Padwal.
Three months ago, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had asked the government to reply within two weeks as to when the Lokayukta, the SIC and CIC would be appointed.
The CM further said that he would now concentrate on the appointment of Lokayukta, for which the process has already started. “I want to complete all pending works, at the earliest,” he said.
