Odisha Lokayukta Act now a reality

By Our Correspondent, Bhubaneswar, January 28, 2015 ###

President Pranab Mukherjee approved the Odisha Lokayukta Bill on Wednesday, making Odisha the first state to have such legislation.

The Bill, which was passed last February in the state Assembly, has now become an Act after the President’s approval. Odisha is the second state after Uttakhand to pass the Lokayukta Bill.
Under the provisions of the Lokaukta Act, 2014, the incumbent Chief Minister, former Chief Ministers, public servants, non-governmental organsiations [NGOs], contractors (firms and persons) dealing with government money, will come under purview of a six-member panel.

The Lokayukta would be headed by a Chairman who would be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the selection committee. The Chairman would either be a sitting or a retired High Court judge.

The panel would be selected by a committee headed by the Chief Minister and would include Leader of Opposition, Chief Justice of Odisha High Court or a judge nominated by the Chief Justice and a jurist appointed by the Governor.

Out of three non-judicial members, one will be from women, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe or minority category. The other members would include at least two judicial members.

The Lokaykta will have an inquiry wing headed by a director for conducting preliminary inquiry into any offence committed by a public servant brought before it. It will also constitute a prosecution wing headed by a director.

The state government will constitute a number of special courts as per the recommendations of the Lokayukta to hear and decide the case arising out of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The trial of such cases would have to be completed within a year from the date of filing of the case.