BENGALURU: The Congress that came to power in the state with a promise of clean and corruption- free administration has reduced the Lokayukta to a mere paper tiger. A campaign has been launched by eminent citizens, former judges and activists to save the institute.
The government formed Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to probe cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and disbanded Lokayukta Police Wing and divested it of the powers to probe corruption cases. Lokayukta and Upa Lokayuktas can only look into cases of maladministration and send reports to government to take disciplinary action. If the government fails to do so, all that they can do is to submit a report to governor.
The concern among eminent people who have launched the campaign is that the ACB that reports to CM is unlikely to act against politicians or senior officials. Lokayukta was an autonomous body reporting to Governor. Downfall of Lokayukta institution started after Justice Y Bhaskar Rao quit as Lokayukta after his son Y Ashwin and others allegedly ran an extortion and corruption racket within the anti-corruption body.
“In a democracy, the government has the obligation to tell people why they are changing the system. There have been instances where Chief Ministers have been found corrupt. Does that mean that you would remove the post of the Chief Minister itself?” says former SC judge and former Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde: This move was an excuse to weaken the institution of Lokayukta and to protect those in power, he said.