State recommends Rahul Pande’s name for CIC

MUMBAI: The state government has recommended the name of former Nagpur information commissioner Rahul Pande (51) for the post of chief information commissioner under the Right to Information Act.

Pande is a former journalist and was handpicked by the Devendra Fadnavis-led government for the position of information commissioner of Nagpur, where he was posted from October 2021 to October 2024. He also held additional charge of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Amravati divisions. As chief information commissioner, Pande will have a 3-year term.

The government has also shortlisted three candidates for three posts of information commissioner. One of them is Gajanan Nimdev, editor of Nagpur Tarun Bharat.

The four names were cleared in a meeting presided over by CM Fadnavis on Tuesday. The recommendations have been sent to governor C P Radhakrishnan for final approval after which formal announcements would be made.

Earlier, former chief secretaries Ratnakar Gaikwad and Sumit Mullick has been chief information commissioner. The post was lying vacant after Mullick’s retirement.