The Uttarakhand government on Monday tabled in the Assembly the Lokayukta Bill bringing under its purview the Chief Minister, ministers and government servants, including IAS and IPS officers, and with a provision for punishment extending up to life imprisonment.
Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri tabled the “Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill, 2011” in the Assembly as the session resumed after a month-long recess.
Soon after taking over as the Chief Minister on September 11 this year, Mr. Khanduri had announced to bring a stronger and an effective Lokayukta Bill within two months.
Lower judiciary will be covered under the Lokayukta while judges of the Uttarakhand High Court will not come under its purview.
Former Chief Ministers, former ministers and retired officers will also be under purview of the Lokayukta.
The Bill envisages that for any act of corruption, the punishment shall not be less than six months of rigorous imprisonment and may extend up to imprisonment of ten years.
In the rarest of rare cases, the punishment may be extended up to life imprisonment.
The Lokayukta will consist of a chairperson and five members with a scope of increasing the number to seven as per the need and requirement.
