Mudassir Kuloo
Srinagar, Nov 30: Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a five member high power committee for setting-up Lokayukta in the union territory.
This followed recommendations made by the Law Commission to replace recently dissolved State Accountability Commission by Lokayukta.
Law Commission headed by Justice (retired) M K Hanjura had recommended setting up Lokayukta to deal with complaints related to corruption against public servants and functionaries.
On the orders of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, a five member committee headed by Secretary Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has been framed to look into the applicability of Lokayukta Act in Jammu and Kashmir.
Director Anti-Corruption Bureau, Additional Secretary General Administration Department and two officers from Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs shall be its members. The committee has been asked to submit report by December 12.
An official of Law Department said committee has to examine recommendations of the Law Commission.
“The committee will give its report as to how Lokayukta can be set up in J&K,” he said.
Law Commission has suggested that Lokayukta shall consist of a chairperson, who is or has been a chief justice or judge of a high court and four members, of whom two shall be judicial members.
“Lokayukta shall constitute an inquiry wing headed by the director of inquiry for the purpose of conducting inquiry into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant,” it has recommended.
Section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 says that “every State shall establish a body to be known as the Lokayukta, if not so established, constituted or appointed, by a law made by the State Legislature, to deal with complaints relating to corruption against public functionaries, within a period of one year from the date of commencement of this Act.”
Except Jammu and Kashmir, Lokayukta was implemented across the country in 2013. Instead, J&K had established SAC in 2003. The SAC had a mandate to investigate chief minister, cabinet ministers, legislators, and bureaucrats if there was a complaint of wrongdoing against them.
