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First meet of Lokayukta panel today
The state government has convened the first meeting of selection committee of Lokayukta on Friday after passing the Draft Lokayukta Bill.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
According to officials in the Secretariat, the selection committee of the Lokayukta comprises three members, Chief Minister as the Chairman, Speaker and Leader of Opposition. The selection committee will meet on Friday and will appoint a three-member Search Committee.
The meeting of the Selection Committee is the first step towards setting up of a Lokayukta, the Legal Ombudsman of the state, after the Madras High Court came down strongly on the state government for sitting idle after passing the Draft Lokayukta Bill.
After the state government assured the Court that Lokayukta will be setup by February, the first meeting will be held in which Search Committee, with members from Judicial and Administrative knowledge, will be appointed. Within the allotted time frame of two months, the search committee will recommend a person, a retired or serving High Court Judge, to the post of Chairman of Lokayukta, to the Selection Committee.
The Selection Committee, after careful consideration will forward the recommendation of the Search Committee to the Governor, who will appoint a Chairman and four members for Lokayukta. The four members should have either legal expertise for 25 years or expertise in public administration and anti-corruption for 25 years. The Chairman will have tenure of five years or till the age of 70 years and if the Chairman is removed by the Governor, the senior most member of Lokayukta will act as the Chairman.
Stalin declines invite, says can’t select a panel with ‘corrupt’ CM
Leader of Opposition MK Stalin has declined the invitation sent by the state government for the Lokayukta Selection Committee meeting convened to set up the search committee which would prepare a “panel of persons” to be appointed chairperson and members of the Lokayukta. In his reply to secretary of personnel and administrative reforms, who had invited him for Friday’s meeting, Stalin on Thursday said that participating in a meeting attended by Chief Minister facing corruption charges and a biased Assembly Speaker would do no good in fighting corruption and hence he was unable to attend the meeting.
Reiterating that the Lokayukta proposed by the state government has no powers to take constructive measures for public benefit, Stalin said the three-member selection committee was being set up in a way it would give majority to the ruling party and the there was a risk of an officer chairing the Lokayukta. Referring to the absence of investigation and prosecution wings in the Lokayukta, he said the Lokayukta was being set up in such a way that it would function as a “post office” to the state instead of being a powerful body that fights corruption. Recalling the demand his party had made during the passage of the Bill in the House that it be forwarded to the select committee for improvement, Stalin said the Lokayukta envisaged by the state would be a powerless and toothless body which would defeat the very purpose of it.
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