Lokayukta formation makes no progress

SHILLONG: After the September 24 assurance in the Assembly by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, the file related to constitution of Lokayukta has not moved from his table.
The Chief Minister during the session in September this year had assured the Assembly 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.
When contacted, an official source said on Saturday that there was no further progress on the formation of Lokayukta.
Earlier, after a law in this regard was passed by the state government, an amendment was brought by the government to make it more effective and subsequently Lokayukta Bill 2014 was passed.
It was on March 26 last year that the Governor gave assent to the amended Bill and later it was notified.
As per the requirement of law, a Selection Committee was constituted last year to facilitate the formation of a fullfledged  Lokayukta.
Sources said that the Selection Committee never held meetings since last year thereby delaying the process of the formation of the anti-corruption body
While the chairperson of the Selection Committee is the Chief Minister, members  include the Speaker, Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court or a Judge nominated by him, Leader of Opposition and the  nominated member MP Bezbaruah.
The task of the Selection Committee is to recommend suitable names for the constitution of a Search Committee which will subsequently suggest the names for the selection of Chairperson and members of the Lokayukta.
The Chief Minister had assured that a convenient date will be fixed to have a meeting of the Selection Committee, but in vain.
“We will not shy away from the commitment as time has come to deal with corruption which has become a chronic disease,” Sangma had said in the Assembly in September.