Lokpal received 89 complaints between April and December 2020, disposed off 43 cases

As many as 89 complaints, including three against Members of Parliament (MPs), were received by anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal between April and December 2020, according to official data. It received 48 complaints against Group A and B category central government officials, 33 against chairpersons, members and employees of different boards/ corporations/ autonomous bodies wholly or partially financed by the Centre and five were in the others category, it said. The Lokpal ordered preliminary inquiry into 21 complaints – 18 by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and three by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to the data. It sought an inquiry report in one complaint from the Enforcement Directorate and an action taken report in one case from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) among others, it said. The Lokpal closed 43 complaints 39 after preliminary examination and four after considering preliminary inquiry report, said the data for 2020-21 updated till the end of December 2020. President Ram Nath Kovind had on 23 March, 2019 administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the chairperson of Lokpal, the apex body to inquire and investigate into allegations of corruption against public functionaries. The Lokpal’s eight members were administered the oath by Justice Ghose on March 27 that year. A total of 1,427 complaints were received by the Lokpal during 2019-20, of which 613 were related to state government officials and four against Union ministers and members of Parliament, according to the data. It said 245 complaints were against central government officials, 200 against those in public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, judicial institutions and autonomous bodies at the central level and 135 were against private persons and organisations. There were six complaints against state ministers and members of legislative assemblies and four against Union ministers, the Lokpal’s data stated. Of the total complaints, 220 were requests/comments/suggestions, it said. A total of 613 complaints were related to state government officials, public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, judicial institutions and autonomous bodies at state level, the data said. Of the total complaints, 1,347 were disposed of, it said, adding that 1,152 complaints were beyond the Lokpal’s jurisdiction.