‘Kept in the dark’: Cong MP Adhir Ranjan writes to President Murmu on selection of CIC Heeralal Samariya

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Central Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners," Adhir Ranjan said in his letter. In his letter to President Murmu, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “...I, despite being a Member of the Selection Committee in my capacity as the Leader of the largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha was totally kept in the dark about the selection of CIC/ICs, at the meeting that was held at the residence of the Prime Minister on 3 November…" Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged the voice of the Opposition has been "ignored".

Former IAS officer Heeralal Samariya was on Monday sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner by President Droupadi Murmu. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also alleged he had requested for a change in the timing of the meeting from evening to morning which was not accepted and he was “not even informed" about the decisions taken at the meeting.

The selection committee is headed by PM Narendra Modi. "The fact that within hours of the meeting in which only the prime minister and the home minister were present and the 'face of the opposition', that is, me, as a bona-fide member of the selection committee was not present, the names of the selected candidates were announced, notified and also sworn into Office, only indicates that the entire selection exercise was pre-determined," he alleged, adding, “The process, as it unfolded within a short span, is not conducive for your democratic ethos and norms." Also Read: Supreme Court orders centre to fill vacancies in SIC and CIC, as RTI pleas suffer due to staff shortage He said, “More blatant is the fact that I was not even informed of the outcome of the meeting.