Ranchi, Jan 7 (IANS): The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, issued an important directive while hearing a petition regarding the long-pending appointments of the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners in Jharkhand.

During the proceedings, the state government informed the apex court that the absence of a Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly had stalled the selection committee's meeting required to finalise these crucial appointments. The LoP is a crucial member of this committee, but the position has remained vacant since the Jharkhand Assembly elections as the largest opposition party, here BJP, has not been able to decide its leader in the House.

In response, the Supreme Court directed the largest opposition party in the Jharkhand Assembly to nominate one of its elected members as the Leader of the Opposition who is also a member of the selection committee. The bench instructed that this nomination must be completed within two weeks.

“The Selection Committee shall commence the selection process immediately thereafter, that is in the third week from today and make an endeavour to complete the selection process within 6 weeks thereafter. The appointments shall be made within one week of receipt of recommendations from the Selection Committee," the court said

Following the nomination, the apex court said the selection committee will immediately initiate the appointment process for the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners.

It also ordered the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand to file an affidavit confirming compliance with this directive.

This directive comes after the Supreme Court, in an earlier hearing, had mandated the Chief Secretary to ensure that the process of appointing Information Commissioners commenced within four weeks, with an affidavit of compliance.

The Jharkhand government’s counsel had argued that the lack of a quorum in the selection committee had delayed the appointments. The state’s supplementary affidavit revealed that an advertisement for the posts was issued in June 2024. However, the absence of a Leader of Opposition since the assembly elections has impeded the process.

Meanwhile, the petitioner said that the State Information Commission in Jharkhand has been inactive since 2020, with numerous positions, including that of the Chief Information Commissioner, remaining vacant. This has resulted in thousands of pending RTI-related cases, severely impacting transparency and governance in the state.