Upa Lokayukta Subhash B. Adi has decided not to attend to his office work from Monday, in view of a motion seeking his removal from the post being accepted in the Legislative Assembly recently.
The recent amendments to the Karnataka Lokayukta Act stipulates that the Lokayukta or Upa Lokayukta against whom removal proceedings are initiated are precluded from discharging their duties during the 90-day period when the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court conducts an inquiry against them.
However, there is a confusion as to from when are those against whom such procedure is initiated precluded from their duty – soon after the motion is accepted or after the High Court Chief Justice begins probe.
“I have asked the Registrar, Lokayukta to write to the government seeking a clarification on the issue. But the government has not responded. So I have decided not to discharge my duties as Upa Lokayukta,” said Mr. Adi.
With this, the Lokayukta judicial wing has completely become defunct. Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao has been on leave from the past four months. The government is yet to appoint a replacement to S.B. Majage, who retired as Upa Lokayukta in July this year.
