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Rahul Pande took oath as the new State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) of Maharashtra in a formal ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, on Monday. The oath of office was administered by Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan.
During the ceremony, the governor also administered the oath to three newly appointed State Information Commissioners (SICs)-- Ravindra Thakre, Prakash Indalkar, and Gajanan Nimdev. Maharashtra CM, Devendra Fadnavis, congratulate Pande on his appointment, "Heartiest Congratulations to Rahul Pande on taking oath as State Chief Information Commissioner, and to Ravindra Thakare, Prakash Indalkar, and Gajanan Nimdev on taking oath as State Information Commissioners at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, today. Best wishes to uphold the Right to Information and empower citizens through transparency." The swearing-in event was attended by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MLC Parinay Phuke, Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Brijesh Singh, among other dignitaries. The ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem and state song, and concluded with a rendition of the national anthem once again. Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Prashant Narnaware, read out the official notifications of the appointments before the oath was administered. The new appointments are expected to strengthen the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the state. The State Information Commission is constituted by the respective state government through a Gazette notification. One State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) and "not more than 10 State Information Commissioners (SIC)" are appointed by the governor. SIC headquarters are specified by the state government. Additionally, other offices in the state should be established with the state government's approval. However, the state commission is open to exercising its powers without being subjected to any other authority. The SIC has the power to order an inquiry if there are reasonable grounds; issue a summons for examination; direct the public authority to appoint a Public Information Officer (PIO) or Assistant Public Information Officer (APIO) where none exists; and seek an annual report from a public authority. While the Central Information Commission (CIC) is required to submit an annual report to the central government at the end of the year, the State Information Commission is obligated to report to the state government. (ANI)
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