Now,Lokayukta seeks powers to prosecute

“However in order to fulfil the objective of this institution,it is necessary that the Lokayukta should be given powers to take action against the delinquent public servants instead of merely recommending it,” demanded former Lokayukta Justice (retd.) NK Sud penning his part of the annual report before remitting office in January this year.

Justice Sud pointed out that such a provision was available to the Haryana Lokayukta till 2002 when it was repealed. Lokayuktas in Karnataka,Maharashtra and Rajasthan have this provision.

Justice Pritam Pal,who succeeded Justice Sud,has also demanded the revival of the provision where a Lokayukta can punish for its own contempt. He added that the Lokayuktas of Karnataka,Kerala,Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have continued with this position.

Justice Sud had added that senior officers in government departments cannot hide behind their juniors when endorsing wrong decisions. “If any decision is found to be illegal or not decided properly then the responsibility for the lapse is fixed at the person who had put up the initial note while the officials at the higher level,who have forwarded the note by endorsing their approval,are let off by accepting their explanations that they merely put their signatures in lieu of having seen the file. This to my mind,is not only unfair but is also contrary to the spirit of the rule of procedures,” noted Justice Sud.

He rued that many serious violations of rules and regulations by the public servants are either overlooked or attract very mild punishment and this has led to corruption.

Giving instances of government’s inadequate reactions to rampant corruption in the Panchayati Raj institutions,Justice Sud demanded that there should be an effective method of monitoring the expenditure of the gram panchayats and the supervisory staff along with the sarpanches should be held responsible for any lapse in the maintenance of the records or in the acts of any misappropriation or embezzlement by the sarpanch.

He added that mere recovery of the funds embezzled is not enough in such cases and the erring official should be criminally prosecuted as well.

Stating that arbitrary use of discretion is also an act of mal-administration,Justice Sud states that when different yardsticks of judgment and punishment are applied for similar crimes,it amounted to corruption.

Finally,Hooda speaks on Lokpal

CHANDIGARH: With AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi finding his voice in the din on the Jan Lokpal Bill,the Haryana Congress too has broken its silence over the issue. Appreciating Rahul Gandhi’s speech,Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appealed to the people to cooperate in this fight against corruption and added that corruption could not be eliminated only through a Lokpal. Hooda said that Rahul has rightly pointed out that apart from implementing effective a Lokpal law,a set of effective laws that address critical issues are also necessary. These issues include government funding of elections and political parties,transparency in public procurement,continued tax reforms to end tax evasion,he added.