SHILLONG: Though the State Government notified the Meghalaya Lokayukta Amendment Act, 2013, the Government is planning to re- examine the Act to make it in line with Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.
The Deputy Chief Minister- in charge law- Rowell Lyngdoh said on Saturday that though Meghalaya had gone ahead with the implementation of its own Act, it will be further examined to know whether the State Act is in line with Lokpal and Lokayukta Act or not.
Recently, during the meeting of the Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states in Delhi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had conveyed to them that the respective state governments should follow Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 while forming state Lokayuktas.
If the states have already notified Lokayuktas, the states should go in line with the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, as per the direction of Rahul Gandhi. The deadline to complete the process is February 28.
This means that there will be further amendments to Meghalaya Lokayukta Amendment Act, 2013 which has already been amended twice.
According to Lyngdoh, if there is scope for improvement, the matter will be examined by the Government.
He also said that if needed the state Act can be discussed in the Assembly for further amendment.
The drawback of the Meghalaya Lokayukta Amendment Act, 2013 is that there is lack of clarity on why grade IV employees, employees below grade IV, Chief Justice, any Judge of the High Court, officers and staff of the High Court, members of Meghalaya Judicial service and Chairman or any member of Meghalaya Public Service Commission are exempted from the purview of the Lokayukta Act.
Another defect is that the policy formulation of the State Government and also the action taken in pursuance of policies so framed by the Government is also exempted from Lokayukta Act.
