Jammu: Former top Income Tax officer G R
Sofi was on Thursday appointed as the first Chief Information
Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir, six years after the state
enacted the landmark RTI.
The name of Sofi was decided after a meeting of Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah, leader of Opposition Mehbooba Mufti
and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand. However, the posts of
the two Information Commissioners will remain vacant for the
time being.
The meeting to appoint the state CIC was postponed
twice earlier because Mehbooba had boycotted them but this
time she had agreed to join the meeting.
Jammu and Kashmir was the first state to enact the
Right to Information (RTI) Act in 2004.
Sofi has served as chief IT commissioner of Jammu and
Kashmir till last year.
During the meeting, the name of former Director
General of Police Ashok Bhan was also considered but he could
not make it to the coveted post.
Omar Abdullah government had last year decided on
appointing former chief information commissioner (CIC) of
India Wajahat Habibullah, to the post. He was, however, not
relieved by the Centre.
PTI
