Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Two years after Governor Kamala Beniwal returned the Gujarat Lokayukta Amendment Bill 2011,the state government is set to table a new Bill,to be called Gujarat Lokayukta Bill 2013,in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly ending April 2. The new Bill is among the nine that came to the business committee of the House on Monday.
Only last week,the Supreme Court had dismissed the state governments review petition challenging the appointment of justice retired R A Mehta as Lokayukta by Governor without consulting the state Cabinet. The Gujarat government has now filed a curative petition in this regard.
While the amendment Bill was returned by Governor in 2011,the government this time is presenting altogether a new bill called Gujarat Lokayukta Bill 2013, an official said,adding that the new Bill is likely to include clauses limiting the role of the Governor and Chief Justice in appointing Lokayukta.
The Bill,returned by the Governor,sought to amend section 2 of the Gujarat Lokayukta Act,1986,to bring the local body officials under preview. The amendment Bill was passed in the Assembly in 2011,but the Governor had later returned it for reconsideration.
