Uttarakhand High Court Orders Release of IFoS Officer's Empanelment Records

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the Centre to disclose records related to the empanelment decision process of IFoS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi at the Joint Secretary level. Chaturvedi, aggrieved by his non-empanelment, sought these documents through various legal channels, including RTI and CAT, which initially denied his request.

The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the Centre to release documents pertaining to the empanelment of Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi. The order came in response to Chaturvedi's plea seeking transparency in his empanelment process.

Chaturvedi, a 2002-batch officer, had his empanelment for the position of joint secretary declined by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet. He then submitted a representation to the Centre, seeking detailed records and explanations for the decision.

Despite initial rejections from the Department of Personnel and Training and the Central Administrative Tribunal citing confidentiality under Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act, the High Court has now mandated that these records be provided to Chaturvedi.

(With inputs from agencies.)