SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday assured the House that he would take up the initiative of convening the meeting of Selection Committee to start the process of setting up an effective Lokayukta in the state.
The Chief Minister made this commitment after Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP) moved a zero hour notice on the delay in the formation of Lokayukta in Meghalaya.
Earlier, moving the zero hour notice, Basaiawmoit said that the dangers posed by corruption can be compared to cancer.
“The replies to several RTI queries revealed large scale corruption in the state. In the absence of any effective mechanism like the Lokayukta to deal with corruption cases, not a single conviction has been reported,” he said.
According to the HSPDP legislator, the Chief Minister had assured in October last that the Lokayukta will be formed within six months, but in vain.
In his reply, the Chief Minister said that after the law was passed in the past, the State Government had come up with an amendment, which resulted in the passing of Lokayukta Bill 2014 and subsequently, the Governor gave assent to the Bill on March 26 last year.
“The law requires a selection committee to be constituted and accordingly the same was done last year. Though the selection committee was to sit, due to some exigencies, the meeting could not be held,” Sangma said.
The selection committee includes chairperson (Chief Minister) and members who include the Speaker, Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court or a Judge nominated by him, Leader of Opposition and nominated member, MP Bezbaruah. The selection committee will recommend the names for the constitution of a search committee which will in turn suggest the names for the Chairperson and members of the Lokayukta. Sangma said that a convenient date will be fixed to have a meeting of the selection committee. “We will not shy away from the commitment as time has come to deal with corruption which has become a chronic disease,” Sangma said.
