DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has taken a significant step towards operationalising the long-pending Lokayukta mechanism in the state by constituting a five-member search committee to prepare a panel of names for the posts of Lokayukta chairperson and members.
The move follows deliberations by the selection committee headed by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The committee will now identify suitable candidates and submit its recommendations to the selection panel for the final appointment process.
Secretary, Personnel and Vigilance, Shailesh Bagauli said the search committee has been formed under the provisions of the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act, 2014. The decision was taken on the basis of discussions held in the selection committee meeting on June 4, 2026, and the recommendations received thereafter.
The development is being seen as a major administrative push by the Dhami government to strengthen transparency, accountability and anti-corruption oversight in the state.
The newly constituted search committee will be chaired by Justice Alok Verma, former judge of the Nainital High Court. The panel also includes three former chief secretaries of Uttarakhand, Indu Kumar Pandey, Subhash Kumar and Radha Raturi, as members.
Doon University Vice-Chancellor Professor Surekha Dangwal has also been included as a member of the committee, giving the panel representation from the academic sector.
Officials said the committee brings together experience from the judiciary, administration, governance and public policy. Its primary task will be to identify eligible and credible names for appointment as Lokayukta chairperson and members.
The Lokayukta selection committee was constituted in 2023 following directions from the Uttarakhand High Court. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is the chairperson of the panel.
Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri, a representative of the Chief Justice of the Nainital High Court and a legal expert are its members.
The Lokayukta is envisaged as an independent anti-corruption watchdog to examine complaints of corruption, misuse of office and irregularities against public representatives, government officials and public servants.
Experts said the search committee plays a crucial role in the entire process as it undertakes the initial screening and evaluation of eligible candidates. The quality and effectiveness of the Lokayukta institution, they said, would depend largely on the names recommended by this panel.