JOIN USJammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Chairman B A Khan said, Karnataka Lokayukta was a powerful institution in the country and it must be given additional powers to be more effective.
Interacting with journalists, here, on Wednesday, Khan, also former chief justice of J&K High Court, said, the Lokayukta, which was created to maintain good governance and administration, should function independently.
“The institution should be given powers to take final actions — like dismiss any person, including chief minister, if he is found guilty. To make the institution more powerful and effective, it must be given three instruments — independent investigation agency, independent enquiry agency and own prosecution,” he said.
“For governments, Lokayukta should not be a business or formalities for the sake of opposition party. All governments are similar in terms of attitude, function and action and thus many lokayuktas are sitting in closed door rooms,” he said.
For a question, Khan said, the authorities should make provisions to act against Lokayukta or Lok Pal, if they err. “The Supreme Court could be a better place to act against them,” he opined.
‘Lok Pal not instituted’
He said, the Central government has not instituted Lok Pal even after several agitations by Gandhian Anna Hazare and by the people across the country, a couple of year ago.
In reply to a question on corruption in J&K, Khan said, the menace is rampant in Jammu and Kashmir and people come forward to complain against the issues but, in many cases, they compromise due to threats or other reasons.