SHILLONG: As the state government is seeking legal opinion on the order of Meghalaya Lokayukta to remove several Meghalaya officers to facilitate coal probe by the CBI, the anti-graft panel chief PK Musahary has reiterated that the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act 2014 provides scope for investigation by any agency.
Sources said that the state government is unlikely to challenge the order in the Court but may seek certain clarifications.
The Lokayukta had issued the order on January 9 and it was officially sent to the government on January 13.
The Lokayukta chief referred to Chapter 7 para 20 of the Act which mentions that the Lokayukta can order preliminary inquiry against any public servant by its inquiry wing or any agency (including any special investigation agency) to ascertain whether there exists a prima facie case for proceeding in the matter.
In the case of Meghalaya Lokayukta, a separate inquiry wing is yet to be established.
Though the state government wanted a state agency to probe the illegal mining and transportation of coal, the Lokayukta preferred CBI due to the fear of interference by the state agencies.
The state government is referring to chapter 28 (1) of the Act to highlight the role of the agency of the state government, but it only suggests to utilise the services of ‘any officer or organisation or investigation agency of the state government’.
