MP Lokayukt's appointment comes under cloud

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Government has come under attack for allegedly not following mandatory procedures in the appointment of Lokayukt, a charge denied by the chief of the anti-corruption body. The state government did not form a panel of probable candidates and did not consult the Leader of Opposition in legislative assembly in the selection of the Lokayukt thus breaching appointment rules for the ombudsmen, official sources claimed. Even some of the RTI applications filed by social activists seeking information on Lokayukt’s appointment are either being delayed or returned without giving proper reasons, activists alleged. “We have filed a number of applications to the state government for providing us file notings and other relevant information related to Lokayukt’s appointment. But they are sitting on the application violating RTI rules,” claimed activist Ajay Dubey. Dubey alleged irregularities in selection of the chief of state anti-corruption body. Madhya Pradesh government officials are, however, tight-lipped on the matter. When contacted Madhya Pradesh Lokayukt, retired Supreme Court Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, termed the allegations as baseless. “I have fulfilled the criteria mentioned in the law and have been selected for the post after a proper procedure,” Naolekar told PTI. According to Section 3 (a) of the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukt Evam Up-Lokayukt Adhiniyam, 1981, “the Lokayukt shall be appointed after consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court of MP and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, or if there be no such leader, a person selected in this behalf by members of the opposition in that House in such manner as the Speaker may direct.” Dubey has also written to Madhya Pradesh Governor Rameshwar Thakur seeking cancellation of Naolekar’s appointment as Lokayukt. “We have already requested the Governor and planning a major protest from August 16 onwards at the Secretariat here. We have decided to file an RTI everyday on the matter till the General Administration Department of the state gives us desired information on Lokayukt appointment,” he said. The state Lokayukt is dealing with a number of corruption cases involving senior political leaders of the state. PTI