New UP Information Commissioner sworn in

Lucknow, Aug 1 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Information Commissioner Justice (retd) M A Khan today administered the oath of office to veteran journalist Gyanendra Sharma as Information Commissioner.

Mr Sharma is the first Information Commissioner to assume office after Justice (retd) M A Khan was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Uttar Pradesh by Governor T V Rajeswar.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav was also present on the occasion.

Mr Sharma had been asociated with various newspapers and media houses in the past. Besides being the editor of 'Dainik Hindustan' in Delhi, he was also associated with 'Dainik Jagran' and 'Samachar Bharti.' Interacting with reporters after assuming office, Mr Sharma said the Right to Information (RTI) Act was one of the most powerful legislation formed after Independence. ''It will help us all to fend off corruption from public life,'' he said.

The new Information Commissioner said he was personally against the changes being proposed in the RTI Act with regard to official notings on government files.

CIC Justice (retd) M A Khan said he supported the claims of the Prime Minister that the Act would be strengthened and not weakened through this new amendment.

''While we can dissiminate information, it was upto the media to follow up on the information provided...journalists, who would benefit from the Act the most, would have to take an initiative,'' he added.

UNI NAB MB PA BD1221