Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh E.S.L. Narasimhan is understood have cleared the name of Vijayawada-based hotelier Ilapuram Raja as the AP Information Commissioner.
The Governor, it is believed, chose the name of I. Raja over another aspirant Eerla Sriramamurthy, a leader of Village Revenue Officers Association in Andhra Pradesh, who also worked as former personal secretary to the AP HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao.
A communication to this effect has been sent to Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday evening, sources told The Hindu here. The panel of two names sent by the AP government had drawn the flak of RTI activists and the political parties too, which cried foul over the alleged bid to politicise the institution of Information Commission.
Last week, the RTI activists in Andhra Pradesh had raised objection and even petitioned the Governor not to consider the names of the two persons suggested by the ruling TDP regime. Mr. Raja studied abroad and is highly qualified, sources said adding that this tilted his chances. Mr. Raja is son of former MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah and is also president of Vijayawada Hotel Owners Association and MD of Hotel Ilapuram.
