By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Under pressure to repeal the weak Lokayukta Act in the state, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has agreed to convene an all party meeting to discuss the draft Lokayukta Bill prepared by anti-graft activists.
The Chief Minster gave this assurance to a delegation of anti-graft activists spearheaded by the Meghalaya Right to Information Movement (MRTIM) and other influential NGOs, during a meeting on Tuesday.
“I would be convening an all party parliamentary meeting soon where we would go through the draft Lokayukta Bill prepared by anti-graft activists,” Sangma was quoted by leading women NGO leader Agnes Kharshiing as stating.
Recently several social organizations of the State had threatened to march to the State Assembly, if the Government does not take any step to appoint an independent Lokayukta by replacing the existing Lokayukta Act by a new one to make it more powerful.
The NGOs have also decided to hold a series of awareness campaign throughout the State to fulfill their demand for the constitution of the independent Lokayukta in Meghalaya, to investigate the acts of corruption and prosecute those involved.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of people participated at a state-wide ‘signature campaign’ organized by the Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) as a mark of protest against the recent ‘job scam’ unearthed by the CBI, naming top notch politicians including several cabinet ministers.
During the campaign, the group demanded that High Level Scrutiny Committee constituted by government should speed up the process of reviewing the matter and ensure that the deserving candidates are not deprived of their rights
While asking the tainted legislators to step down, FKJGP president Joe Marwein said the High Level Scrutiny Committee constituted by government should speed up the process of reviewing the matter and ensure that the deserving candidates are not deprived of their rights.