From Our Correspondent
AGARTALA: A day after Justice (Retd) PR Sarkar took over charge as Lokayukta, opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath on Saturday alleged that The Tripura Lokayukta Act would not serve any purpose when it comes to check graft charges.
The Lokayukta will not able to initiate probe against the Chief Minister without approval by the majority members of the Assembly, accordingly to the Act, he said at a press conference here. “It means, the Lokayukta will not be able to function independently even if it receives graft complaint against the Chief Minister and he needs House approval to verify the charges”, he pointed out.
As per the Act, Nath said the Chief Minister’s consent is must to undertake investigation against any council of Ministers on corruption charge. In case of complaint against legislators, the Lokayukta will have to take prior approval from the Chief Minister, Speaker and Opposition Leader.
“ It clearly indicates, the Lokayukta which was constituted to check corruption or graft charges, will not be able to work independently”, he pointed out.
Expressing surprise the way bureaucrats, government employees and Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) kept out of the purview of the Act, Nath said that the Act was enacted to safeguard the corruptions occurred during the Left Front regime.
Nath also alleged that opinions of left partners like RSP, CPI and opposition Congress and Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) were carefully overlooked by the government to shield the corrupt practices.
Terming the Act teeth-less, Nath claimed that it was Congress that has prompted the Left Front government to enact the anti-graft legislation. “The corruption has been legalized during the regime of Manik Sarkar but the much awaited Act seems fail to address the problem effectively”, he said.
Nath also put question mark on the appointment of Justice Sarkar as the Lokayukta saying by appointing him to head the Lokayukta the ruling CPM ensured party raj in the state.