Lokayukta Bill still hanging fire

Even six months after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the State Government would bring a strong Lokayukta Bill in the Assembly, a draft of the bill is yet to be prepared.

The Chief Minister had said on December 28 last year that his Government would introduce a Lokayukta Bill in the Assembly within three months while reiterating his party’s stand on a strong Lokpal for the country and bringing the CBI within its ambit. ‘’We will do our best to bring the Lokayukta Bill shortly,’’ he had said.

The State Government was then planning to bring elected offices in panchayat bodies under the purview of the Lokayukta. But strangely there is not a word on the Lokayukta Bill now.

Though nobody from the Government side is ready to explain the reasons behind non-implementation of the Chief Minister’s promise, the Opposition Congress alleged that Naveen did not want such a bill to be passed. As a large number of scams have come to light, anybody can file a petition against the Chief Minister and the Lokayukta will investigate it, former Law minister and Congress leader Narasingh Mishra said. To avoid this Naveen has deliberately gone back on his word, he charged.

The issue of the Lokayukta Bill cropped up following the clean chit given by Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev to the Chief Minister on the graft front during his recent visit to Bhubaneswar. The Yoga Guru sought Naveen’s support to bring back the black money stashed away in tax havens abroad. Naveen maintained that he started fight against corruption much earlier, 12 years back. Action against many ministers and senior officials has been taken in course of his fight against corruption, he said.

But the Opposition is not convinced. The Chief Minister has also invited flak for not implementing the recommendations in the reports given by Lokpal.

Lokpal has submitted as many as 30 special reports to the Governor since the BJD Government came to power. However, the Government has not tabled 21 of these reports, including one on the land acquisition for the proposed Vedanta University, in the Assembly.

Odisha has a Lokpal and Lokayukta Act since 1971 and the office of Lokpal continues to exist. But the State is yet to appoint a Lokayukta.

The BJD supported the demand for a strong Lokpal in the wake of Anna Hazare’s movement.