Amid protests, Sripathi takes over as TN chief info officer [Chennai]

Amid protests, Sripathi takes over as TN chief info officer [Chennai]
Times of India, The, Sep 3, 2010
CHENNAI: Former chief secretary KS Sripathi was sworn in Tamil Nadu's chief information commissioner (CIC) on Wednesday amid protests by Right to Information (RTI) activists.

About 20 minutes before governor Surjit Singh Barnala was to administer the oath of office to Sripathi at 11.30am, three RTI activists gathered in front of the Raj Bhavan. Blindfolded with black ribbons, they held placards bearing slogans 'Save RTI', 'Want transparency in CIC's selection' and 'Non-transparent appointment for upholding transparency?' As soon as they started raising slogans, they were picked up by police personnel.

One of the activists, V Madhav, who was later released, said the protest was not against Sripathi, but against the lack of transparency in the appointment of the CIC.

Soon after being sworn in, Sripathi parried journalists' queries. When asked whether he had applied for the CIC's post or if he was nominated by the government, he said: "You can ask for information (under the RTI Act)." To another query on why only bureaucrats were always being appointed CIC in Tamil Nadu, he replied: "It's only the second time. You cannot say second time is always." Would he be a proactive CIC? "There is nothing called pro-active," came the reply, "I will be an active CIC."

On the RTI activists' charge that there was no transparency in his appointment, Sripathi said: "It is their opinion. I cannot help it." He brushed aside the allegation that he was not transparent in his previous assignments, saying, "There is no truth in it."

RTI activists had campaigned against his appointment, saying as vigilance commissioner Sripathi had pushed for exempting the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) and the Tamil Nadu Vigilance Commission from the purview of the RTI Act. Also, when he was chief secretary, Sripathi had challenged the order of the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission, which had directed the government to disclose details as to whether IAS and IPS officers had disclosed their assets.Besides Madhav of the Association For India's Development, the other activists who were picked up by the police were V Gopalakrishnan of the Federation of Anti-Corruption Teams-India and Siva Elango of the Makkal Sakthi Katchi. For