The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : I won’t ask for suo motu powers again: Hegde

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Sunday, Aug 05, 2007
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I won’t ask for suo motu powers again: Hegde

Staff Reporter

‘Now, Upa Lokayukta is more powerful than Lokayukta’

Santosh Hegde completes one year in office
‘Problems raised during tour of districts redressed’

BANGALORE: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde said on Saturday that he would not ask the Government once again to provide the institution suo motu powers.

“I am not begging for the (suo motu) powers. I will not ask for it again,” Mr. Hegde said and added that presently the Upa Lokayukta was more powerful than him as he enjoys suo motu powers.

“I will go ahead with my work. I will leave it to the public to decide,” Mr. Hegde said.

Talking to presspersons on his completing one year in office, Mr. Hegde said nothing had changed since the days of his predecessor N. Venkatachala in the Government’s reluctance to provide more powers to the institution.

Asked whether his attempt to bring in seriousness among legislators about giving details of assets had prompted the delay, Mr. Hegde said, “I have acted within the law. I have taken recourse to another law, which enhances my power.”

The grant of suo motu powers is one among the several amendments that Mr. Hegde has sought in order to make the Lokayukta Act more powerful.

Among others, Mr. Hegde has asked for compulsory acceptance of the recommendations made in the report under Section 12 (3) of the Lokayukta Act after an inquiry on an issue. “Many times overruling of our recommendations has caused embarrassment,” the Lokayukta said.

The amendments sought by Mr. Hegde are yet to be placed before the legislature.

Working style

Mr. Hegde said though the working styles of his predecessor and himself were different, it had in no way brought down the number of corruption cases registered by the Lokayukta police wing. Correlating the number of cases booked during his first year with that of his predecessor, Mr. Hegde said the police wing booked 211 cases of trap (persons caught accepting bribe) till August 2 as against 196 cases registered between July 1, 2005 and July 2, 2006.

He said the police had registered 14 cases of raid (amassing disproportionate assets), which was more than the average of 11 cases registered every year during his predecessor’s five-year tenure.

Mr. Hegde said the Lokayukta was proactive in its decision to file charge sheets in 110 cases of corruption against officials, which were pending for a long time before the Government for grant of sanction.

“We have not neglected the anti-corruption part, while discharging our duty of overseeing governance. The institution is doing the work allotted under the Act,” he said.

Pointing out that he had received a number of calls on his mobile phone, Mr. Hegde said, “Though tiresome, it has opened an access to the people.”

Many problems raised during the joint visits to 15 districts by Upa Lokayukta G. Patri Basana Goud and himself had been redressed, the Lokayukta said.

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