Having announced to revive the Lokayukta and give it full powers to fight corruption in its manifesto, the BJP now appears to have washed it hands off the promise.
According to the responses to RTI queries by activist Bhaskaran, the state government did not have the money to create 24 additional posts in Lokayukta, which would cost Rs 1.70 cr to the state exchequer. This has come to light when Lokayukta is struggling to settle 17,116 cases.
It can be recalled that Lokayukta registrar had written to the previous Congress, Cong-JD(S) coalition and the present BJP government, urging them to sanction the required funds for the post. In a recent response, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had clarified that no posts can be created due to the financial stress faced by the state.
Bhaskaran, responding to the developments, said that the government was coming up with lame excuses as it lagged behind in strengthening an organisation that struck fear in the hearts of the corrupt. “Case pendency is going up year after year. More investigating officers are required to ensure that all cases are taken up,” he said.
(Published 17 February 2020, 17:22 IST)
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