Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 14: State president of Transparency International, Justice M F Saldanha, wants judges from outside the state to be made heads of the state Lokayukta.  His demand has been spelt out in a letter addressed by him to Karnataka Governor, Hansraj Bhardwaj.

“When you were the law minister at the centre, you had enforced the rule that high court judges hailing from outside the state should be appointed as the Lokayukta of states. This was a good move. In Karnataka too a judge from outside the state should be made the Lokayukta” he said.

Expressing his opposition to the transfer of Lokayukta officials, Saldanha said that threats by some senior politicians to the investigating officer of the Lokayukta has the effect of damaging its very foundation. “The state government has been transferring efficient and honest officials of Lokaykta without obtaining permission from the Lokayukta and thereby allowing politics to interfere in Lokayukta affairs. If this practice continues, there is every chance of the officials concerned losing their interest,” he added. He hailed the functioning style of former Lokayuktas, Justice Venkatachala and Justice Hegde.

Saldanha has said that the claim of a former Chief Minister of Karnataka of coming clean from all the cases registered against him, and rising back to power within a short span of time, as an indication about the pressure on the officials, and the insult for the investigating agency. He asked the Governor to order maintenance of status quo by holding transfer of additional director general of police of Lokayukta as unethical and immoral.