Andhra Pradesh State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) R Mahaboob Basha, appointed by the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in October 2022, has become a significant irritant for the current Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Basha, a native of YSR Kadapa district, previously served as the chief reporter for Sakshi newspaper, which is owned by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
After retiring, he was appointed as CIC alongside other journalists, including P Samuel Jonathan from The Hindu and Rehana from NTV, as information commissioners.
As these are constitutional positions, the appointees retain their posts despite a change in government. Their three-year terms are set to expire in October 2025, leaving the current administration with no legal grounds to remove them.
While the other information commissioners have not posed any major issues, Basha has reportedly been creating friction with the new administration, allegedly due to his continued loyalty to his former boss, Jagan.
There were earlier reports of Basha ordering pay cuts for staff in the Right to Information (RTI) Commission who had been appointed during Naidu’s earlier tenure.
In the latest controversy, Basha stalled the appointment of IAS officer V Anjaneyulu as Secretary of the RTI Commission, citing concerns about preserving the Commission’s autonomy.
“We are strongly advising the government not to post such officers to the Commission. How can responsibilities be assigned without our consultation? We will not allow him to take charge,” Basha asserted.
On May 5, when Anjaneyulu arrived at the Commission headquarters to assume charge, Basha directed staff to lock the Secretary’s chamber.
Denied entry, Anjaneyulu temporarily sat in the legal secretary’s office before leaving. Anticipating his return the next day, Basha ordered that room to be locked as well.
Basha also instructed all staff and fellow commissioners not to cooperate with Anjaneyulu and directed security personnel to block his entry unless he had written permission from the CIC.
Anjaneyulu has reportedly met with the state’s Chief Secretary to explain the situation.
Meanwhile, observers are surprised by the government's silence, despite what many see as Basha’s open defiance of a government order.
