From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Mar 16: Strongly batting for the State Government’s decision of creating an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra claimed that the new body was created to check corruption in the administration.

“We have created the ACB to take away powers excised by Karnataka Lokayukta police under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988”, Jayachandra said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday, he explained that the State had created the anti-corruption watchdog - the Lokayukta - in 1984.

But under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act (KLA), he said there is also the Prevention of Corruption Act that empowers the State police to investigate corruption charges against officials. 

Therefore, the State Government has decided to separate the two roles by forming the ACB on the lines of the central government, Jayachandra said.

The minister said the public and legal experts need not to worry over creation of the ACB. 

The State Government has not taken any powers of the Lokayukta by forming the ACB.

A final order on framing the rules would be issued soon to clarify the role and functions of the ACB, he said and explained that the concerns of the public would be answered when the rules are framed.

However, the State Government, in a separate note, said that the ACB headed Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) has powers to raid residences of public servants in cases related to disproportionate assets. 

The ACB has to obtain prior permission from the competent authority to probe allegations of corruption during discharge of official duties by public servants, the note said.

“This would essentially mean prior permission for all cases to be probed under the Section 13 (1) (d) of the PC Act, 1988, that related to misconduct of official position for pecuniary benefits by public servants,’’ the note added.