JOIN USMinister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Kumar said on Wednesday that the government would appoint a new Lokayukta in the next 30 days and put an end to the controversy surrounding the matter.
He said the process to appoint a Lokayukta was underway and a case in this regard was pending before the Supreme Court. He said the advocate general had put forth the State’s explanation in the matter before the High Court.
Suresh Kumar said the government had banned manual scavenging in October 2008, and anyone found violating the ban would be dealt with strictly. The minister said the government was aware of the incident in which a worker was made to get down into a manhole to clean it, by a Uttar Pradesh-based contractor managing a public toilet in Raichur. The government would initiate necessary action, he said.
The government had identified Bijapur, Tumkur and Shimoga to be upgraded as city corporations on a priority basis, as they fulfilled the eligibility criteria. He said many other cities had submitted proposals to be declared city corporations.