SHILLONG: The move to form a Lokayukta in the State is unlikely to take shape this year as no positive step has been taken by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to execute his assurance given on the floor of the Assembly on September 24 that he would take up the initiative of convening the meeting of the Selection Committee.
The meeting of the Selection Committee is a must to start the process of setting up an effective Lokayukta in the State.
An official source admitted that the formation of Lokayukta will take more time as the matter was still pending with the chief minister.
With only a handful of working days left in 2015, any meeting of the Selection Committee seems highly unlikely, the official source added.
In the absence of a Lokayukta, the State Vigilance Commission has almost become defunct as there has not been a single conviction after the Anti Corruption Brach of the CID followed up eight corruption cases involving public servants, as per official data.
The chairperson of the Selection Committee is the chief minister, while the members include the speaker, Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya or a Judge nominated by him, Leader of Opposition and a nominated member (M.P. Bezbaruah).
The Selection Committee entrusted with the task of recommending suitable names for the formation of a Search Committee, has not met since last year.
The Search Committee, which is yet to be formed, will suggest suitable names before the Selection Committee to be considered for the post of Lokayukta.
Finally, the Selection Committee will decide a name from among the recommendations made by the Search Committee.
The name of a Chairperson and four members of Lokayukta will be finally approved by the Governor after he gets the recommendation from Selection Committee.
Ever since March 26, 2014 after the Meghalaya Governor gave assent to the amended Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill 2014, the selection process of Chairperson and members for Lokayukta has been pending.
The chairperson of the Lokayukta will be an individual “who is or has been a Chief Justice of the High Court or a Judge of the High Court or an eminent person who fulfils the eligibility of having impeccable integrity and knowledge of anti-corruption policy for at least 25 years”.
The eminent person should have “outstanding ability having special knowledge and expertise of not less than 25 years in the matters relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance including insurance and banking, law and management”.
The term of the Chairman and four members is five years, and they can remain in office till the age of 70 as per the Lokayukta Act. The minimum age of the Chairperson and the members should be 45 years.
