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.Patna,(BiharTimes): Noted journalist Farzand Ahmed and retired IAS officer Vijay Raghavan were on Friday nominated as the two members of the Information Commission, Bihar.
They were nominated after the Committee headed by the chief minister Nitish Kumar recommended their names. Others in the committee are deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and leader of opposition, Abdul Bari Siddiqui.
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The Chief Information Commissioner has not yet been nominated.
Farzand was a Senior Editor India Today. He worked in this magazine for three and a half decades.
Raghavan is a retired bureaucrat who served on various important posts.
comments...
Firstly, I will congratulate Ferzand Saheb for being appointed Information Commissioner of the Bihar Information Commission. Ferzand Saheb and myself have been very close friends and aquintances for the last over 35 years in the profession! Ferzand Saheb now has become third most privileged journalists in Bihar to get coveted post in government and corridor of power after late Srikant thakur Vidyalankar , former editor of Aryavarta , now defunt and former editor of the Searchlight and Indian Nation , both defunct, as had been nominated MLCs in successive state governments-while late Vidyalankar was nominated MLC in congress government in 1970s, Jha was nominated and subsequuently made minister in Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal ministry in Bihar perhaps in 1960s.
I welcome when journalists after retirement become legislators and get coveted post by state government but when I look ethics of profession, I do not share journalists getting any privileged position in government- but my views does not count -there are several instances in different states and specially at the centre when many reputed journalists have been nominated members of Rajya Sabha and they utilised privileges while on their posts! After all journalists are also part of the society. Appointment of Ferzand Saheb, a veteran senior journalists. started his career as freelance journalist of the Indian Nation, subsequently as staff reporter of the UNI and finally retired as deputy editor of India Today recently, no doubt is very good move of Nitish government and leader of the opposition Abdul Bari Siddiquee, who is also part of the selection process of information commissioners and chief information commissioner under the Act.Ferzand saheb's regular colmn. in The Indian Nation as "window from the Urdu press" was very popular in late 1960s and early 1970s. still I remember his colmns and salute him. but I have certain reservation journalists' accepting government position after retirement because of journalists must be detached from power and position once one enters this profession!
Present Nitish NDA government, everybody knows, is deeply involved in "undeclared censorship" by pumping huge public money in advertisement channels for print and electronic media in Bihar-even non-existence media get ads of crores of rupees not to bend but to crawl before CM Nitish Kumar. and Nitish practically succeeded in taming media in Bihar and he has developed personal likes and dislikes in deep-rooted manner for journalists. It is said he looks journalists with contempt, whom he does not like! Now Ferzand Saheb's appointment by Nitish government will definitely give clear signals to journalists for being pliable for getting benefits or privileged posts in future-this is Bihar where people including journalists start crawling for privileges! Ferzand's Saheb appointment as information commissioner gives clear signal to journalists to become more and more pliable to his government! With this Nitish government has now started distributing privileges after priviliges to journalists in future period of his government. it is said many journalists are now hoping against hopes for getting rajya sabha berth and Vidhan Parishad berth during Nitish regime! Even than my good wishes with Ferzand saheb as he is gentelman parexcellence apart from an eminent journalist.
K K Singh , Journalist , my blog-www.kksingh1.blogspot. com
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