The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Lokayukta Act to be amended

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Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Lokayukta Act to be amended

Special Correspondent

Lokayukta to get suo motu powers to check graft
Members express concern over slow investigation

BANGALORE: A Bill to amend the Karnataka Lokayukta Act will be introduced in the ongoing session of the Legislature to grant suo motu powers to the Lokayukta to check corruption, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.P. Prakash said on Tuesday.

Replying to K.G. Bopaiah (BJP) during question hour in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Prakash said the Lokayukta had, during the past three years, conducted 54 raids and seized assets worth Rs. 53.67 crore. A decision had been taken to grant more powers to the Lokayukta. If the Government was unable to introduce the amendment Bill, it would promulgate an Ordinance for the purpose, he said.

The Lokayukta police raided 40 officers and 14 employees of the Government during the past three years. Investigations were on in 53 cases. In one case, an employee was not found guilty, he said.

Concern over slow pace

Members, cutting across party lines, expressed concern over the slow pace of investigation by the Lokayukta and urged the Government to grant more powers to it soon. R. Roshan Baig (Congress) termed the Lokayukta’s raids a joke and said all officials who had been raided were promoted by the Government. The Lokayukta should be given powers to raid the residences of the Chief Minister, Ministers and the Chief Secretary, he said.

A.T. Ramaswamy (JD-S) wanted to know from the Government whether the Lokayukta raids had actually reduced the level of corruption in government departments.

Tourism

Minister for Tourism B. Sriramulu told Mahagundappa Kallappa Pattana Shetty (BJP) that the Tourism Department would provide sound and light shows at the important monuments in the State. A high-level committee had been constituted to give its advice for the implementation of the project. A decision had been taken to introduce sound and light shows at Belur, Halebid, Shravanabelagola, Badami and the Bidar Fort in 2007-08.

Minister for Labour and Minorities Welfare Iqbal Ansari told R. Dhruvanarayana (Congress) that the department had so far sanctioned 35 shadimahals and community halls in the current fiscal year. Twenty-five halls have been sanctioned for Muslims and five each for Jains and Christians. Hall in district headquarter cities would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh each and at taluk headquarter towns at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh each. Forty-two halls had been sanctioned in 2006-07, he said.

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