Demanding that the final draft on anti-corruption mechanism Lokayukta be made public, ACAUT has submitted various points for inclusion in the final draft, before the Nagaland Lokayukta Act is passed in the coming Winter Session of the Assembly. According to ACAUT media cell, the points were submitted during the meeting with the Standing Committee on Lokayukta, constituted by the NLA, on August 17.
Media cell said the team met the Standing Committee led by its chairman, Er. Levi Rengma, and members C. Apok Jamir, R. Tohanba, and Dr. TM Lotha. At the meeting, the committee expressed the dire need for the Lokayukta Act at this juncture, and also “voiced apprehension that the body maybe misused for political vendetta”, media cell said. To this, ACAUT said Lokayukta should not become another “paper tiger” like the State Vigilance Commission “whereby even its suo moto power has been taken away with by the Cabinet, an issue first raised by the NTC”.
ACAUT also apprised the committee on the danger of senior bureaucrats on the verge of retirement lobbying for membership in the Lokayukta.
In order to discourage political practice of rewarding loyal bureaucrats with membership in various constitutional and statutory bodies, ACAUT proposed a “cooling off” period of at least five years after retirement before any retired bureaucrat could be considered for the august office, media cell said. Further, ACAUT told the Committee the anti-corruption ombudsman “has nothing to do with Article 371 (A) and thus citing reason that Lokayukta violates article 371 (A) has no logical basis, the Article 371 (A) has frequently misinterpreted to suit vested interest”.
ACAUT also demanded that the Nagaland Lokayukta Act should satisfy the people of Nagaland.