SHILLONG, Sep 13: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, on Monday, said that the delay in appointment of the Chairperson of the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSWC) and the State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) has been caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is worth mentioning that the government has come under fire from the Opposition as well as other stakeholders over the delay in filling up these vacant posts, especially in the Meghalaya State Commission for Women, which has been without a chairperson and members since October last year.
On the other hand, the Meghalaya State Information Commission (MSIC) has remained without an SCIC after the tenure of the former Chief Secretary, PBO Warjri, had ended in March this year.
Talking to reporters here, the chief minister said that there is a complete process that is involved in the appointment of a chairperson and members of the MSCW. According to Conrad, one cannot just simply sit in a room to appoint the commission chairperson and its members.
“The applications and resume which were received had to be properly screened. We could not complete the exercise as per the schedule due to the COVID-19 situation. It has delayed the entire process,” he said.
Conrad has, however, informed that the matter of appointment in the MSCW is in the advance stage.
“The file has reached the Social Welfare Minister. We will review (it) and then take a final decision,” the CM said.
Conrad Sangma has stated that the appointment of the chief information commissioner has also been delayed due to the COVID-19 situation. “We will need to follow the laid down procedures as far as appointment and selection of the new SCIC is concerned. I am sure very soon we will be able to make the appointment,” Conrad added.
Opp slams govt
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition, Mukul Sangma, had slammed the National People’s Party (NPP)-led MDA Government over the delay in appointing a new SCIC.
“There are institutions which are created and establish with a purpose. This is an offshoot of the Right to Information Act, 2005, which was enacted. This Act empowers people to have access to all information relating to implementation of programmes and the overall functioning of the state government,” Mukul said while speaking to reporters here on Monday.
According to him, the RTI Act was enacted to create a deterrent on any official who is vested with the responsibility of implementing a number of programmes to get involved in any kind of alleged irregularities and corruption.
He said that all existing check mechanisms capable of checking the implementation of programmes were found to be wanting.
“We cannot deny that there is always scope for irregularities and instances of alleged corruption at the level of implementation at ground zero,” Mukul observed.
The Leader of Opposition said that the failure of the government to appoint a new information commissioner talks much about the priority of the government. “This means that the government does not want to have this kind of institution which is capable of empowering the people and identifying instances of irregularities and instances of corruption. This is happening on the ground and it is for this reason the incumbent government want to ensure that this body is not there,” he elucidated.
Talking about the Lokayukta, he said that in the preceding three-and-half years, the whole attempt of the government was to weaken this institution which was designed to deter the tendency of corruption at high offices.
Referring to the developments in the police department, he said that if one analyses the transfer and posting during the time of the incumbent government has created a negative environment in the organisation.
“The transfer of inspector, sub inspector and other senior officers at the level of DIGs and IGs has derailed the positive energy which was visible in the police organisations before,” he said.
This, according to him, is only the tip of the ice-berg.
