Panel to meet to pick CVC, CIC today

New Delhi: With the key government anti-graft agency Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) functioning without a proper head since the past eight months, and the post of chief information commissioner (CIC) who heads the Central Information Commission, also lying vacant since more than a month now, the Prime Minister on February 18 will hold a meeting to initiate the process of finalising the candidates for the top two posts.

According to highly-placed sources, Narendra Modi will chair the meeting of the selection panel for picking the candidates for the posts of chief vigilance and chief information commissioners, Tuesday.

The shortlisted candidates, whose list is likely to be pruned further Tuesday (February 18), were around 100-odd in number after being whetted by the search committee.

The Prime Minister heads the selection committee for choosing the chiefs of both the CVC and CIC. The selection panel also comprises the Union home minister and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

The key meeting comes at a time when the post of CIC has been lying vacant for more than a month now, after Sudhir Bhargava had superannuated on January 11, 2020, from the post of chief information commissioner. Significantly however, the post of chief vigilance commissioner has been lying vacant since June 9, 2019, after K.V. Chowdary left on completion of his tenure.

Since then, vigilance commissioner Sharad Kumar has been functioning as interim CVC.

The deadlines for sending applications for the post of CVC had been extended thrice between May and June 2019.

Meanwhile in the CIC, apart from the post of chief information commissioner, four other posts of information commissioners too are currently vacant. Out of the sanctioned strength of 11, the CIC is functioning only with six information commissioners.