New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) Prominent Right to Information (RTI) activist Shekhar Singh is among the persons being considered for the post of chief information commissioner (CIC), government sources said here.
“Shekhar Singh is one of the prominent RTI activists and his name is among the top two names being considered for the post,” a senior government official told IANS.

Sources said the other person being considered is a senior bureaucrat from Madhya Pradesh and the decision to select the CIC is expected to be taken by the end of this week.

The present CIC Wajahat Habibullah quit the post last month to head the information commission of Jammu and Kashmir on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s request.

Singh is founder member of the National Campaign For People’s Right To Information (NCPRI), India, a movement working towards making government and society more transparent and accountable.

When asked about being a contender for the CIC post, Singh said he has not heard anything about it from the government.

“I have not heard anything about it from the government. But if any offer like that comes my way, I will consult the other members of my movement. I am part of this movement and can’t take any decision myself,” Singh told IANS.

Singh has been campaigning for several years for the RTI act.

Singh played a very important role in the drafting of the RTI bill in 2004-2005. The Right to Information Act was passed by parliament in 2005.

Currently NCPRI, along with other activists and civil society groups, is planning protests across the country to stop any proposed amendment in the Act. NCPRI has been advocating for proper implementation of the Act rather than amendments.