Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Oct 15: In a significant appointment, Dr Richard Vincent D’Souza, a retired IAS officer hailing from Udupi, has been named as one of the three new commissioners to the Karnataka State Information Commission.
The state government announced the appointments on Tuesday, aiming to strengthen the functioning of the commission which had been operating with multiple vacancies in recent months.
Dr D’Souza, along with Dr Mahesh Walvekar, has been posted to the Bengaluru bench of the Commission, while Venkat Singh will serve at the Kalaburgi bench, as per the official order.
A native of Udupi, Dr D’Souza is widely respected for his blend of administrative acumen and technical expertise. Over his illustrious career, he has served in several key roles including deputy commissioner of Kodagu, CEO of Raichur Zilla Panchayat, joint commissioner at BBMP, and managing director of Hutti Gold Mines Company Ltd. He has also held senior posts such as director of the National Health Mission and secretary of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
An engineer by training, Dr D’Souza holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA in Human Resource Management, and a PhD in Driver Behaviour from Bangalore University. His career began as an aero engineer at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), where he contributed to the development of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) project.
During his tenure at the BBMP, he earned recognition for his effective handling of garbage management issues and his efforts to reclaim encroached government land—both of which had long plagued Bengaluru's civic administration.
Also appointed to the Bengaluru bench is Dr Mahesh Walvekar, who had been serving as officer on special duty to Legislative Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti. Known for his policy insight and administrative experience, Dr Walvekar joins the Commission with a mandate to clear pending appeals and improve public service transparency.
Meanwhile, Venkat Singh will take charge of the Kalaburgi bench, helping to decentralise the commission’s operations and reduce regional case backlogs.
With these appointments, the Karnataka government has taken a step toward reinvigorating the State Information Commission, a body critical for enforcing the Right to Information (RTI) Act and ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.