BENGALURU: The inaction on the part of the state government in filling the post of Lokayukta, which has been vacant for almost three months, has not only brought proceedings under its jurisdiction to a standstill, but also raised doubts over the delay in appointment. The post has been vacant since the term of Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty ended on January 27, 2022.
Sources said proceedings against bureaucrats, high-ranking officials and elected representatives in several cases have came to a standstill, as there is no Lokayukta either to nominate Enquiry Officers or to approve the enquiry reports, for the government to take action in cases where the probe is completed. Sources further said that tainted officials on the verge of retirement, or elected representatives whose term is ending, may escape the clutches of law if there is any further delay. On the other hand, in case allegations are not proved in the inquiry, public servants will suffer as their promotion or retirement benefits would be withheld, as the Lokayukta is not there to clear reports.
Besides, there may be people who wish to file complaints with the Lokayukta into the alleged 40per cent commission scam, to get government works. Commenting on this, former Supreme Court Judge and former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde said the Lokayukta institution has been weakened, and that is known to everyone. “Of two, one of the important powers to deal with corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, was withdrawn long ago. Though the Lokayukta post has been vacant for months, no political party has raised the issue. This is like throwing sand into the eyes of the public. If the post is filled, it is a burden for those in power,” he said.
He also said that it is known that the Lokayukta’s term expires five years from the date of appointment, and if the appointment process is initiated in advance, there is no scope to keep the post vacant. “If the Lokayukta were appointed by now, a suo motu case could have been initiated into the alleged corruption of 40 per cent commission. But the government appointed a commission of inquiry. It reminds me of a statement by a former British Prime Minister, ‘If you want to close a scam, appoint a commission of inquiry’.” Despite repeated attempts to find out about the process to appoint the Lokayukta, Chief Secretary P Ravikumar did not respond.