VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Mar 21: The Hemant Soren government has informed that the government could not fill the vacant post of the chief information commissioner and information commissioners of Jharkhand State Information Commission (JSIC) due to legal reasons.
During the budget session of the assembly on Monday, the Rural Development minister Alamgir Alam said that selection is done by a three-member committee comprising of the chief minister, a cabinet minister, and the Leader of Opposition.
“Since the assembly has not notified anybody as Leader of Opposition hence the government has been facing the problem. I have explained to you the reason,” said the minister. Minister said this while responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan.
Biranchi Narayan sought to know the reasons for not filling vacant posts at JSIC. “Since the past two years the post of chief information commissioner and information commissioners. As many as 20000 cases have been pending,” the MLA said.
But the reply of the minister kicked off a heated exchange of argument between the treasury and the opposition. Biranchi Narayan accused the government of making lame excuses to keep a constitutional body defunct.
He said that who stops the government from declaring Babulal Marandi as the Leader of Opposition. “Who stops you from declaring Leader of Opposition. People know the political reasons behind this. If the government was aware that no appointment at JSIC can be done without the Leader of Opposition then why did you publish an advertisement for selection?” Biranchi Narayan charged.
Water Resource minister Mithilesh Thakur also jumped into the debate and accused the BJP of the delay in appointment. “Out of 25 MLAs, the BJP could not find a single person for Leader of Opposition; it wants Babulal Marandi,” he said. But he was snubbed by Bhanu Pratap Shahi.
Minister Alamgir Alamgir Alam said that the government was taking legal consultation in this matter.
