Information Commissioner appointment; Kerala guv strikes down

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam has declined to accord approval to the name of a CPI-M leader recommended by the LDF government to be appointed as state information commissioner.

The governor has struck down the name of Advocate A A Rasheed from the government's list of five candidates for the information commissioner appointments, Raj Bhavan sources said.

The rejection was apparently due to some police cases pending against Rasheed, the sources said.

The names approved by the governor are Administrative Reforms Commission chairman V S Achuthanandan's press secretary, K V Sudhakaran, Educationist K L Vivekanandan, General Administration Department additional secretary Sreelatha and former Travancore Titanium M D S Somanathan Pillai, they said.

Rasheed is said to be close to the CPI-M leadership, particularly Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and state BJP unit had earlier petitioned the governor against the inclusion of ineligible persons in the list.