Privilege move against Lokayukta registrar may not hold water

A legislature committee’s decision to move a privilege motion against a Lokayukta official may not hold water as the Lokayukta Act does not mandate submission of annual reports to the state government.

Legislature Committee on Documents had decided to move a privilege motion against  Lokayukta registrar for non submitting annual performance report and audit report.

Sources in the Lokayukta, however, say that the Act stipulates to submit the report only to the governor.

Section 12 (6) of the Lokayukta Act states that Lokayukta “shall present annually a consolidated report on the performance of his functions and that of the Upalokayukta under this Act to the governor.’’

The legislature panel chairman and JD(S) MLA Sa Ra Mahesh in a letter to Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad on October 3 had stated Lokayukta Registrar H M Nanjundswamy neither submited a report nor did he appear before the committee despite sending two notices on August 29 and September 5.

A senior Lokayukta official said that the reply was sent on September 4, 2017 seeking eight weeks’ time to submit the report. The response was sent on September 5 on the day the panel held its meeting, explaining the legal provisions under the Lokayukta Act.

In the response letter, the Lokayukta has also sought eight weeks time to file a detailed report.

The Act further states that on receipt of the report from the Lokayukta, the governor shall cause a copy along with an explanatory memorandum to be laid before each House of the State Legislature. The official of the Lokayukta said that the issue was raised by the Documents’ Committee in 2014 itself recommending amendment to the Lokayukta Act.

DH News Service