The Hindu : Front Page : Lokayukta to get more powers

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Friday, Nov 11, 2005

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Front Page

Lokayukta to get more powers

Special Correspondent

Dharam Singh denies that the Government is shielding corrupt officials

BANGALORE: A day after Lokayukta N. Venkatachala threatened to approach Governor T.N. Chaturvedi if the State Government continues to sit over his recommendations against officials found guilty of corruption, Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh said his administration is considering investing the anti-corruption agency with greater powers, including that of initiating action on its own.

Mr. Venkatachala spoke against the Government while addressing presspersons on Thursday after unearthing allegedly ill-gotten assets estimated at over Rs. 3.75 crores from two senior engineers of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. He would take up the matter with the Governor if the Government drops the cases booked by his agency against corrupt officials, he had said.

Empowerment

Speaking to presspersons on Friday, Mr. Singh denied that the Government is shielding corrupt officials.

He went on to say that his Government is serious about empowering the Lokayukta with greater powers with regard to raids and stamping out corruption in the administration.

Mr. Venkatachala, a former Supreme Court judge, has been pleading for investing his agency with suo motu powers to deal with corrupt officials.

The Chief Minister said stern action will be initiated against the corrupt. The issue of giving more powers to the Lokayukta will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. The Government has not interfered in the functioning of the Lokayukta, he said.

It might be mentioned here that N. Nagaraj of the Citizens Rights Forum filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition in the Karnataka High Court and sought a direction to the Government to grant more powers to the Lokayukta to prosecute corrupt officials.

The petitioner said the State has been ranked as the fourth most corrupt States by Transparency International.

A Division Bench consisting of Justice P. Vishwanath Shetty and Justice H. G. Ramesh ordered notices to be issued to the Government in response to the PIL.

Mr. Singh said the State has adopted a good administrative system by setting up a Lokayukta to root out corruption in the administration.

A proposal is before the Government to give suo motu powers to the Lokayukta. "The Government will do the needful," he said.

Law Minister H.K. Patil said the Cabinet will take a decision soon on providing more teeth to the Lokayukta. The proposal has been in cold storage for a long time, he said.

Protection

On the demand by BJP legislators from the Malnad region for police protection against naxalite attacks, the Chief Minister said legislators of all political parties in that region will be provided security.

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