: With the AIADMK returning to power, anti-corruption activists are wondering whether expeditious steps would be taken to establish Lokayukta as promised in the party’s election manifesto. The Lokayukta is an anti-corruption ombudsman with powers to prosecute even top elected representatives. Though States such as Karnataka and Kerala already have it, Tamil Nadu has shied away from establishing such an institution.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had, in the past, opposed a proposal to bring the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.
Retired Supreme Court judge and former Lokayukta of Karnataka, Justice N. Santhosh Hegde, who was one of the prominent faces of the anti-corruption movement started by Gandhian Anna Hazare, said that the Lokayukta is essential to fight corruption.
“The Lokayukta is not just about checking corruption but ensuring good administration. It is necessary to prevent maladministration as ordinary people cannot always seek relief from the court of law as it takes a lot of time and money to do it,” he said.
According to him, there is no reason for any State Government to not institute the anti-corruption ombudsman. “Lokayukta is a body which has powers to investigate and report to the government. If there are grievances against it, they can always fight it in the courts,” he said. “The administration and corrupt officers fear the Lokayukta. The fear of an ‘all-powerful’ Lokayukta is also unfounded as the Lokayukta can also be brought to book as we have seen in the case of Karnataka,” he said.
Deep-rooted corruption
Activists claim that corruption in the State is so entrenched that some politicians and government officials have formed an ‘alliance’.
Senior lawyer V. Suresh, general secretary, People’s Union of Civil Liberties, said that corruption has become a defining feature of Tamil Nadu in the last 40 years. “The AIADMK, which has won a mandate to govern for another term, must ensure that there is good governance. When the State has legislative power, there is no need to wait any longer (to establish the Lokayukta). There has been sufficient public debate on this matter,” he said.
Mr. Suresh felt that those in power did not want any oversight. Arappor Iyakkam activist Chandramohan said his organisation was formulating strategies to ensure that the Government instituted a Lokayukta. “The whole of last year, we held discussions with people of repute and the public. We did surveys and incorporated many of the suggestions into our model Bill. This is why all parties spoke about it. Ultimately, the government has to set up a Lokayukta. We will decide on the next course of action soon if there is no announcement,” says Mr. Chandramohan.
‘Lokayukta is not just about checking corruption. It is also about ensuring good administration’
