Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar clears appointment of 4 Jharkhand Information Commissioners

Mail News Service

Ranchi, June 10: Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar has granted conditional approval to the appointment of four Information Commissioners in the Jharkhand State Information Commission, paving the way for the state government to issue the official notification soon.
The approved names include senior journalists Anuj Kumar Sinha, Tanuj Khatri, Amulya Neeraj Khalkho and Shivpujan Pathak. Following the notification, all four appointees are expected to take oath and assume office.
While approving the appointments, the Governor directed the state government to ensure the early appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner so that the commission can function smoothly and effectively. He also made it clear that any procedural lapses in the selection process or issues related to compliance with Supreme Court directives would be the sole responsibility of the state government.
Notably, the Governor had earlier returned the proposal twice. The first time, concerns were raised over the alleged political affiliations of some candidates. After the government submitted clarifications and resent the file, it was returned again seeking clarity on pending cases against certain nominees.
The appointment process had also drawn objections from several individuals and organisations, who had urged the Governor to halt the selections, citing alleged violations of the Right to Information Act and Supreme Court guidelines.
With the Governor’s approval now in place, the long-pending process of strengthening the state’s information commission is expected to move forward.