Former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, K.V. Chowdary, was on Monday, appointed as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner, while the senior-most Information Commissioner, Vijai Sharma, is the new Chief Information Commissioner.

T.M. Bhasin, Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Bank, has been appointed Vigilance Commissioner.

The government and the opposition had on June 1, >agreed on the names of the CIC and CVC, the posts that have been lying vacant for over nine months.

The agreement came at two meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in two different committees.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, >had written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 20 to publicly disclose the names of persons shortlisted for appointment as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).

Mr. Bhushan had further stressed in the letter that former Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chief K.V. Chowdary was "unsuitable" for this position because his name figures four times in the list of persons who visited former CBI Director Mr. Ranjit Sinha at his official residence.”

Senior Supreme Court advocate Ram Jethmalani >too raised objections to making Mr. Chowdhry as the CVC.

A selection panel headed by the Prime Minister, which includes leader of the principal opposition party, and senior cabinet ministers selects the CVC, CIC, vigilance commissioners and information commissioners.

The Central Vigilance Commission is headed by a CVC and comprises two vigilance commissioners and today’s appointment constitutes the full Commission.

In the CIC, there are vacancies of four Information Commissioners. The incumbents are Basant Seth, Yashovardhan Azad, Sharat Sabharwal, Manjula Prasher, M A Khan Yusufi and Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu.