Activists demand setting up of Lokayukta quickly

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, April 13: An anti-graft body in the state today asked the government to make public the mes of members of the search committee which is to shortlist the mes of members of the Lokayukta.

“We also demand that the entire process should be more transparent and participatory and the setting up of the Lokayukta be expedited immediately,” a statement from the Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) said on Monday.

Moreover, the TUR has expressed its outrage over the government’s lack of transparency and action in instituting the office of Lokayukta in Meghalaya.

According to TUR member Angela Rangad, it was after a long struggle and interventions from people’s movements that a workable Lokayukta Act was filly amended and passed.

However, Rangad said that the Act remains merely a paper legislation proving that the Dr Mukul Sangma’s government is not sincere in tackling corruption in Meghalaya.

“The government and its bureaucracy have always dragged its feet in properly implementing the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act. First, they delayed with the rules for the Act, then contrary to the Act constituted a Search Committee in secret,” Rangad alleged.

The TUR demanded that the search committee has to also have civil society members and has to conduct its proceedings in a transparent manner.

It may be mentioned that even after one year of its setting up the State Lokayukta is yet to be formed in the absence of regular meetings to zero in on the candidates to be appointed as the Chairperson and members.

It was in March last year that the Government had, after several amendments, passed the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill, 2014.