Rahul Pande Takes Helm as Maharashtra's New State Chief Information Commissioner

Rahul Pande has taken his oath as the new State Chief Information Commissioner of Maharashtra at a ceremony led by Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan. Alongside him, three State Information Commissioners were also sworn in. The appointments aim to boost the implementation of the RTI Act across the state.

In a formal ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, Rahul Pande was sworn in as the State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) of Maharashtra. The oath was administered by Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan. The ceremony also included the swearing-in of three newly appointed State Information Commissioners (SICs): Ravindra Thakre, Prakash Indalkar, and Gajanan Nimdev.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis extended his congratulations to the newly appointed officials. 'Heartiest Congratulations to Rahul Pande on taking oath as State Chief Information Commissioner, and to Ravindra Thakare, Prakash Indalkar, and Gajanan Nimdev as State Information Commissioners. Best wishes to uphold the Right to Information and empower citizens through transparency,' said Fadnavis, who attended the ceremony alongside other dignitaries.

The event started and concluded with the national anthem. Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Prashant Narnaware, read out the official appointment notifications before the oaths were taken. The new appointments are expected to bolster the RTI Act's implementation in Maharashtra.

Under the state's setup, the State Information Commission is formed by the state government through a Gazette notification. The commission comprises one SCIC and up to 10 SICs, all appointed by the governor. While headquartered as designated by the state government, the commission operates with independence.

The State Information Commission holds authority to initiate inquiries, issue summons, appoint Public Information Officers, and receive annual reports from public authorities. This framework complements the Central Information Commission, which reports annually to the central government, while the SIC reports to the state government.

(With inputs from agencies.)