Delay in selecting Lokayukta will do more harm, says Santosh Hegde

Any unreasonable delay in the appointment of the Lokayukta will affect the functioning of the institution as all the decisions that need to be taken by the Lokayukta will be kept under cold storage, said the former Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde.

Denying commenting on whether there has been a delay in the appointment of the new Lokayukta, Mr. Hegde said the law did not prescribe time limit for the selection of the person.

“But there is a judgement of the Karnataka High Court which says that if Lokayukta or Upa Lokayukta post is kept unreasonably vacant for a long period, then the right for the other man to perform the duties of the vacant post will stop.

That was done because there was no Upa Lokayukta when one of my predecessors was in office. All the actions have to be kept under cold storage. This will be the consequence,” Mr. Hegde said on Friday.

The post of the Lokayukta had been vacant after Lokayukta Shivaraj V. Patil tendered his resignation, two months ago, following controversy over site allotment. A recommendation made by Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to appoint the former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court S.R. Bannurmath was yet to be accepted by the Governor H.R. Bhardwaj.

Earlier, speaking at the Vigilance Week organised by Customs, Central Excise, and Service Tax, Mr. Hegde emphasised on inculcating pride in earning legitimately.

“The salary you are drawing is not insufficient to maintain your family. The feeling of pride of earning legitimately is disappearing,” he said.

Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise, and Service Tax M.V.S. Choudhary said officers were under consistent pressure to increase revenue as against fraudulent practices and ill effects of globalisation.

Tax evasion was a serious form of corruption and the officers, who were taking action, were being targeted.

The consistent pulls and pressures were leading to deterioration of health and family life of the officers.

“More reasonable assessment needs to be made than just be portrayed as corrupt,” he said.

K.C. Gupta, Commissioner (Appeals), spoke.