Lokayukta seldom gets complaints against ministers, MLAs

GUWAHATI: The Lokayukta, Assam has provisions to bring even ministers and MLAs under its investigation, let alone top officials. However, lack of awareness on the Act and its provisions has reduced the institution to a mere grievance redressal cell.

The functions of the Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta are to investigate cases of complaints against ministers, Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), and other elected functionaries of the panchayat, municipal boards, town committees, municipal corporations, government companies, autonomous district and regional councils, registered cooperative societies and their officers and employees, besides officers of the State government. Redressing public grievances is its other important role.

According to an Act, the Lokayukta can investigate complaints against ministers and MLAs, besides top officials. However, the Chief Minister, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, members of higher and subordinate judiciary, chairman and members of the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) are not within the brackets. However, the office seldom investigates complaints of corruption by ministers and MLAs. This, according to records, is because such complaints are seldom lodged by the public, who, in most of the cases, lodge their grievances. Lack of awareness on the provisions of the Act and the office has literally made the well-intended Lukayukta to a ‘toothless institution’.

Former Chief Minister Tarun Tarun Gogoi did take a few steps to bring about some amendments to the Act so as to bring even the Chief Minister’s office under its purview. The purpose was to let people lodge complaints against corruption and other misdeeds against the Chief Minister as well in the Lokayukta. Gogoi, however, failed to give the move its logical end.

The flow of complaints to the Lokayukta office is very poor. A move was afoot during the last Congress regime to open a Lokayukta cell in each and every deputy commissioner’s office so as to let people lodge complaints. Such a step could have led to desired results as Lokayukta does not have its units spreading evenly all over the State. Unfortunately, the move of the previous government failed to materialize.

According to official sources, people, as often as not, alleged involvement of ministers, MLAs and top bureaucrats in corrupt practices, but they stop short of supporting their allegations with material or documentary evidences.

Since Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has taken a stand of zero tolerance against corruption, setting up of district-wise Lokayukta cells can help fight corruption. Such a move, if taken, can let people from far-flung areas of the State lodge complaints or register their grievances in their district quarters without having to travel to the Lokayukta office in Guwahati.