In yet another embarrassment to the State government, Governor Vajubhai R. Vala has for the second time rejected its recommendation to appoint S.R. Nayak as the Karnataka Lokayukta. This comes a day after Upalokayukta Subhash B. Adi was cleared of all charges of misuse of office levelled against him by Congress legislators by High Court judge R.B. Budihal.
The Governor had earlier rejected Mr. Nayak’s name following a complaint against him regarding the allotment of a residential plot at Judicial Layout here. He was also unhappy with the lack of consensus within the consultation committee.
Mr. Vala, who is the appointing authority for the Lokayukta, had also been submitted a memorandum by an NGO opposing the recommendation of Mr. Nayak’s name to the post. The Governor had sought clarification from the government on the plot allotment.
The government had then submitted a clarification and recommended Mr. Nayak’s name again to the post. However, sources in the State Secretariat said the Governor was not satisfied with the clarification and rejected the name for the second time.
The Lokayukta’s post has remained vacant since the resignation of Y. Bhaskar Rao on December 8, 2015.
Last year, the Governor turned down the State’s recommendation to appoint the former High Court judge K.L. Manjunath to the post of Upalokayukta.
KPSC chief
Meanwhile, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra said the government had recommended the name of BDA Commissioner T. Sham Bhatt for the post of Chairman of the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
