Shillong, April 1: The Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) has finally got a new chairman, months after the retirement of Sonachi B. Sangma.
The search committee, under the chairmanship of chief secretary W.M.S. Pariat, selected former Andhra Pradesh additional chief secretary Ashok Kumar Tigidi from the Garo hills to head the commission.
Sangma retired as the commission’s chairperson in September last year.
Speaking to reporters here today, Pariat said the committee selected Tigidi from a list of seven persons.
Pariat also said a precedent has been established for the selection and appointment of future members of the commission after the search committee had been formed to select the chairman.
“Tigidi’s appointment through the search committee would pave the way for appointing members of the commission through a similar route,” Pariat said.
“Besides, this would boost transparency in the appointments made to the commission,” he added.
He also said the committee would soon meet to discuss the selection of the state information commissioner.
On the proposal to videograph interviews and make answer scripts available to job aspirants, Pariat said, “The same has been mooted to the commission. But it would be up to the commission to implement, as it is an autonomous body.”
In the recent budget session, chief minister Mukul Sangma had assured the House that the chairperson of the commission would be selected by a search committee and that it would be brought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
During the declaration of results and the subsequent appointment to various government posts, the commission had in the past faced criticism for showing partisanship in the selection process.
Pariat also said the committee comprising the chief minister, deputy chief minister and leader of the Opposition would soon meet to discuss the selection of the state information commissioner.