Bhubaneswar: After delaying the process for more than three years, the state government has decided to implement the Lokayukta Act and issued a gazette notification after Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik’s nod to it.
That apart, the government has also come up with another gazette notification for constitution of a search committee for the appointment of the Lokayukta.
Sources said the CM had swung into action after the directive of the Supreme Court to the Chief Secretary to submit a status report regarding the same before July 10. Patnaik had asked the authorities and departments concerned to complete the process for appointment of Lokayukta at the earliest, sources added.
It may be mentioned here that Odisha had become the first state in the country to pass the Lokayukta Bill in the Assembly February 14, 2014, after the passage of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament in December, 2013.
However, the state government since then had not issued a gazette notification.
According to the provision of the Odisha Lokayukta Bill, a three-member committee will be formed under the chairmanship of the CM with the Assembly Speaker and Leader of the Opposition as members. The committee will recommend names of others for the committee who will be appointed by the Governor.
Later, a selection committee comprising these four members with the CM as its chairman will be formed in which the Principal Secretary, General Administration department, will be its secretary. The committee will select the chairperson and the members of the Lokayukta Mandal.
The selection committee will form a five-member search committee. The term of the committee will be of two years while its members will be provided with facilities of an officer of Secretary rank. For the post of Lokayukta chairperson, the committee will select five persons while for the appointment of five members; it will select 15 persons and recommend their names to the selection committee. The selection committee will later select a six-member Lokayukta Mandal including the Lokayukta chairperson.
The Odisha Lokayukta Bill has kept the CM, former CMs, council of ministers, elected political representatives and bureaucrats within the ambit of the powers of the Lokayukta.
Taking strong exception to the inordinate delay in the appointment of Lokayukta, the Supreme Court April 19 this year had rejected the six-month time requested by the state government for the appointment of the Lokayukta and directed it to submit a status report by July 10.
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