By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Campaign for Independent Lokayukta in Meghalaya, an anti graft body consisting of several NGOs said the Dr Mukul Sangma-led Government has corrupted the Lokayukta Act as per the proposed amendment.
In a statement issued here on Friday, the NGOs said that they are dismayed at the ‘half hearted’ manner in which the Lokayukta Act was proposed to be amended.
” The amendments tabled in the Assembly on Friday suggest that the Government is still not serious in ensuring an effective and Independent Lokayukta in the State and is giving a green signal to corruption”, the Campaign said.
According to the anti-graft group, “this act of a Congress-led Government goes against their very own Sonia Gandhi-led UPA Government that is advocating a strong Lokayukta”.
The NGOs said that by enacting this weak act, Dr Sangma is directly opposing Sonia Gandhi.
“Mere cosmetic changes made to an extremely weak and flawed Act is unacceptable. Earlier it was no statehood no rest, today it is no Independent Lokayukta, no rest”, the NGOs said.
They said only some demands of the NGOs like the single three year term for Lokayukta and no second term as earlier provided in the 2012 Act, omission of section 22 which earlier excluded any public servant from the purview of the Act by a mere notification were addressed by the Government. “This is the only worthwhile amendment but the shoddiness of the drafting of the amendment is obvious as this section is still referred to in Section 11 (iii) which has not been removed”, the NGOs said.
According to the anti-graft bodies, the partially met demands include the indication that selection committee will choose members of Lokayukta from a shortlist provided by the search and selection committee which may include persons from civil society. According to the activists, the act should say, “there shall be civil society representatives in the search committee.” They also said that there is still a bias in only Judges becoming heads of Lokayukta.
