Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has appreciated former governor RN Ravi for returning the Lokayukta (Amendment No. 2) Bill to Assembly (NLA)speaker Sharingain Longkumer for reconsideration.
Pointing out that the State government had sought to amend words in Section 3(9) from six months to one year, the organisation in a statement recalled that the governor had earlier sent three reminders for filing up the vacancy, which the government should have acted upon.
The governor stressed that it would not be in the interest of transparent governance to amend the period by one year, it added.
According to the release, the institution of Lokayukta was the hub driving anti-corruption wheel in the State and ensured transparency in governance, coupled with probity in public life, thereby ensuring justice for all as enshrined in Preamble to Indian constitution.
NVCO recalled that on the day the stipulated six-month period within which the State government had to appoint Lokayukta was to expire, the ruling NDPP-BJP regime amended the Nagaland Lokayukta Act, 2017 to allow itself one year to keep the post of anti-corruption ombudsman vacant. And on the first day of Monsoon Session of State Assembly on August 3, 2021, chief minister Neiphiu Rio moved the Nagaland Lokayukta(Amendment No.2) Bill, 2021.
Surprisingly, the organisation said the 60-member House passed the Bill on August 5 to make the anti-corruption watchdog in the State remain headless for a year, though Ravi had rejected the Bill and returnedit the NLA speaker for reconsideration.
As a Statecannot remove Lokayukta by law, the organisation said the State government was forced to knock on Supreme Court’s door and the sitting Lokayukta –retired chief justice of Meghalaya high court, Justice Uma Nath Singh – had to tender his resignation, which was accepted on February 5.
Justice Singh had cited “unpleasant environment circumstances” and “hostile environment”as the reasons for him quittingthe post.
The organisation asked the two-member search committee consisting of chief secretary and advocate general to hurriedly identify candidates for appointment as Lokayukta as the stipulated time period of sixmonths had already expired on August 5, 2021 and the (Amendment No.2) Bill was rejected by the former governor.
NVCO president KezhokhotoSavi said it was sad to compel the former Lokayukta to quit from the post, even as the State government moved for amendment to keep the post vacant for a longer period – one year instead of six-months.
Pointing out that the job of a Lokayukta was to check corruption, he explained that the institution was meant to watch not just the bureaucrats and various departments, but the cabinet ministers too, including the chief minister of the State.