BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed in the Assembly empowering the Lokayukta to punish for contempt of courts and treat willful disobedience of its order or direction by government officials as serious misconduct entailing departmental action.
Moving the Bill in the Assembly, Chief Minister and Minister-in-charge of General Administration and Public Grievance Naveen Patnaik said the Lokayukta has suggested the State government for making suitable provisions in the Act for strengthening the authority of the institution that deals with corruption against public functionaries. Section 2(1)(c)(iv) of the Act was also amended.