Agartala, Nov 17 (IANS): Tripura's Left Front government is expected to appoint a Lokayukta (ombudsman) later this month to deal with complaints of corruption, an official said here Thursday.
"Gauhati High Court's former judge Pradip Kumar Sarkar is likely to be the first Lokayukta of Tripura. The state government has proposed his name to Governor D.Y. Patil to appoint him as Lokayukta," an official of the state's administrative reforms department told IANS.
"The governor may issue his formal notification appointing the Lokayukta after he returns to the state," he said, on condition of anonymity.
"Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, state assembly Speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath and leader of the opposition Ratan Lal Nath held a meeting earlier this week to select the Lokayukta. Besides Sarkar, names of others were also considered," he said.
The opposition Congress was not in favour of Sarkar and pointed out several loopholes in the state's Lokayukta act that was passed by the assembly in 2008. President Pratibha Patil gave her assent to the act last year.
The chief minister, who also holds the law portfolio, said the anti-corruption authority would inquire into any accusation and charge against public functionaries from the level of gram pradhan to chief minister.
"If complaints of any irregularity in Tripura are put forward, even from anonymous person, the Lokayukta can take action," he said.
According to the Lokayukta act, if anyone makes a false complaint against a public functionary, he would be punished with a maximum jail term of one year and/or a fine of Rs.5,000.
Sarkar, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, supported the demand for bringing the prime minister under the purview of the proposed Lokpal bill.
"Corruption cannot be eliminated only by formulating laws. The government should go into the source of the fraudulent act. It is also surprising that the debate is now centred around whether the prime minister should be included or excluded from the (purview of the) Lokpal," he said.