This amendment strengthens the Lokayukta, who are investigating the charges of corruption against officials. Only those officials who are caught red-handed while accepting bribe in the presence of a witness can be suspended.

Until now there was no provision for the suspension of employees charged with possessing disproportionate wealth. The amendment to the Service rules was suggested by Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde a few months ago. However, the government did not show interest in implementing this suggestion.

Action recommended
As a result the Lokayukta had to put pressure on the government for suspension of employees on whom raids had been conducted.

Through the media, Justice Hegde had appealed to Governor Rameshwar Thakur to take initiative in this regard.
This proposal got the Governor’s approval during the Executive Committee meeting last week and the change of Service rules would be effected. However, this has been kept in secret so far.

“The Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao has informed me about the approval to amend the rules and the Governor’s Advisor PKH Tharakan has written a letter in this regard”, Justice Hegde told Deccan Herald.