By Our Special Correspondent
SHILLONG: Former Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai while speaking at the meeting organized by ICARE pointedly asked the Meghalaya Chief Secretary WMS Pariat who was also invited to the meeting why the Lokayukta has not been appointed in Meghalaya despite the Act having been passed way back in 2002 and the rules made in 2007.
Pariat’s reply was that since the Lokayukta had to be headed by a retired judge of a High Court, the Government was finding it difficult to find one. Mr Pillai then turned to civil society members and said it is time to do an RTI on why the Government was taking so long to appoint the Lokayukta.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, RTI activist and member National Campaign on Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI),Tarun Bhartiya said that the Meghalaya Right to Information Movement (MRTIM) has already done an RTI on this issue and have all the cabinet decisions leading to the legislation of the Act in 2002 and the rule-making activity which happened five years later. “The Act is very weak because the Lokayukta only has recommendatory powers and cannot prosecute the guilty. The Act also makes it difficult for people to file complaints because of some restrictive clauses. Despite that the Government (read politicians and bureaucrats) are still unwilling to implement the Act. Imagine what would happen if we have a strong Lokayukta Act! This is the reason why NCPRI is pressing the Central Government to direct the States to appoint a Lokayukta who is effective and has full prosecuting powers,” Tarun Bhartiya said. Pillai said that the Centre has also directed that all recruitments into the Police and State Civil Services now has to be computerized and conducted with biometrics identification. “Technology has to be used to enable the right people to be appointed without having to pay bribes,” Pillai said adding that these measures will restore the confidence of youth who are applying for jobs.