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Make better use of Lokayukta: Hegde

Special Correspondent

24-hour helpline soon to enable people access services of the premier institution

Making a point: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde delivering a lecture on the ‘Role of Lokayukta and the Right to Information Act in curbing corruption’ in Shimoga on Saturday.

TIRTHAHALLI: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde said on Saturday that a 24-hour helpline would be launched within a week to make the services of the Lokayukta more accessible to the people.

Delivering the endowment lecture on the “Role of Lokayukta and the Right to Information Act in curbing corruption” at Tunga Mahavidyalaya here, he said that it was wrong to think that the Lokayukta had distanced itself from the people.

‘Join hands’

He said that it was the premier institution responding to the people’s problems and grievances. “It is for the people to make better use of the Lokayukta,” he said and appealed to the people to join hands with him to fight against corruption.

He said that 17 raids were conducted in the past 47 days to unearth ill-gotten money and property amassed by public servants.

He, however, said that some vested interests holding key administrative posts were coming in the way of giving more powers to the Lokayukta in its fight against corruption.

RTI Act

Mr. Hegde said that though the Right to Information Act came into force in 2005, a majority of people were not aware of their rights yet under the Act.

He emphasised the need for educating the people about the significance of the Act.

Explaining how the Lokpal Act passed in 1966 to fight against corruption in public life was subsequently brought in the form of Lokayukta with certain amendments to it, he said that the activities of the Lokayukta were not confined to conducting raids on the premises of corrupt officials alone.

Its main objective was to attune the Executive to provide a clean transparent and efficient administration apart from ushering in a corruption-free society.

He said that the police personnel attached to the Lokayukta should not act merely as police officials but as the Lokayukta to check corruption.

The purpose of the Lokayukta would be served well when it served society responding positively to the problems and grievances of people, he said.

The Lokayukta said that 22,000 complaints were made to the Lokayukta after he assumed office and they were being looked into.

“No complaint would be allowed to go unattended,” he added.

Referring to the Right to Information Act, he said that it allowed everyone to know the functioning of each department at all stages.

“But people are not aware of it,” the Lokayukta said and added that most people in Tirthahalli taluk may not be aware whether Rs. 20 crore released as development grant to the Tirthahalli Taluk Panchayat had been utilised properly.

He said that it could be known under the provisions of the Right to Information Act.

Concern

Expressing concern over the “naxal” activities in the Malnad region, Mr. Hegde said “Whatever may be the reason for naxalism, it should not be allowed to grow and should be nipped in the bud.”

The Lokayukta said that a healthy society could be ushered in only when people became aware of their rights and responsibilities.

He lauded the legal literacy programmes to spread legal awareness among the people and suggested that they should be held with the active participation of the people.

The president of the Tunga Vidya Vardhaka Sangha, Koulani Dharmaiah, presided over the function.

The Principal of the college, S.T. Naidu, welcomed the gathering.

Nataraj Aralaturali and Kimmane Rathnakar spoke on the occasion.

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