Lokayukta gets new registrar

High Court had stayed appointment of IAS officer to the post

The Lokayukta institution has finally got a new registrar, after an eight-month void.
The High Court committee has posted H Nanjundaswamy, the assistant registrar in the Dharwad bench of the High Court, as the new registrar of the Lokayukta. The High Court has also posted five sitting judges as additional registrars (enquiries) of the Lokayukta.

The post of registrar in the Lokayukta was vacant since August 2015, when the state government appointed IAS officer P C Jaffer as the registrar, overlooking the appointment of a sitting judge by the High Court. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed challenging the appointment of an IAS officer to the post of registrar on the grounds that the additional registrars (enquiries), serving or retired judges, cannot work under an IAS officer. Additional registrars of the Lokayukta are of the cadre of the district and sessions judge of the Karnataka Judicial Services. The High Court had stayed the appointment of the IAS officer as registrar, directing the government to make a submission.

The High Court appointed Nanjundaswamy as the registrar on April 29 (Friday). The High Court has also posted Anand P Hogade, who was additional senior civil judge in Ramanagaram as the deputy registrar of the Lokayukta. T Gopalakrishna Rai, who was the deputy registrar of the Lokayukta, has been posted as the district judge, Ramanagaram. Similarly, M H Shantha, Venkatesh and Shivanagouda, who are sitting district judges, have been posted as deputy registrars, Lokayukta. B Venkatappa, Mallikarjun Ishwarappa Kamatagi, both civil judges in Sindagi and Devadurga respectively, have been posted as assistant registrars, Lokayukta.

A senior official said that the judges will take charge on May 30. “The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms has received the list of postings and transfers on Saturday. The DPAR will have to communicate to the Lokayukta office in regard to the new appointments,” the official said.

What rules say

Karnataka Lokayukta (Cadre, Recruitment and Conditions of Service of the Officers and Employees) Rules, 1988, qualify for the appointment of registrar by deputation of an officer in the cadre of district and sessions judge of the Karnataka Judicial Services or of an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (or by posting of an additional registrar). The High Court communication appointing a sitting judge was pending for an official order with the DPAR for a week in the first week of August 2015.

The Lokayukta office had also written to the government requesting it to issue the appointment order of the new registrar. However, in a surprise move, the government appointed an IAS officer as the registrar.