Why only 'babus' for info commissioners posts, asks SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre as to why only retired or sitting the search committee was shortlisting bureaucrats for appointment as information commissioners.

The government told a bench of Justices A K Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer that chief information commissioner and four information commissioners have already been appointed while the process for appointing other information commissioners was underway.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, said that search committee had recommended 14 names for consideration to the selection committee for appointing information commissioners.

"In these 14 names, apart from bureaucrats (retired or sitting) is there anybody else?" the bench asked.

To this, the ASG said one of the 14 persons is a retired judge while rests are bureaucrats.P6