JOIN US'Sakrama sets a dangerous precedent'
Justice Hegde said on Wednesday that legitimising illegal constructions was sending a wrong message to the people, and in principle, was against the interests of the public. He was delivering a talk ahead of an interactive session with students at the Jain University as part of the Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College’s Jagruti Habba. “The Government may get money out of this scheme but the buildings should not be legitimised. What is against the law, should not be legitimised,” he thundered.
Hegde went on to explain that building laws existed for the benefit of not only the owners but also the neighbourhood. “These laws are there to make sure that there is enough light, ventilation and privacy. What if the multi storey buildings on small plots fall? What about the neighbourhood,” he asked.
The Lokayukta then went on to interact with the students of the college and urged them to have a ceiling for “satisfaction.” In response to a question about the challenges that the Lokayukta as an institution was facing, Justice Hegde said that besides limited powers, a big challenge was counter-cases being filed by those who were trapped.
“There is active opposition against police officers who are working with the Lokayukta. A number of counter-cases are being filed, mostly to question our authority,” he said. Justice Hegde gave the example of a frivolous case against an Additional Director General of Police with the Lokayukta and also a defamation case against him.
Hegde also reminded everyone that the purpose of Lokayukta was not only to check corruption but also to monitor instances of “mal-administration.” “Everybody, including the media, get more excited about the raids but our role in checking mal-administration is also critical,” he said.