Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Mar 25: On Chief Minister (CM), B S Yeddyurappa’s invitation, state Lokayukta, N Santosh Hegde, met the CM for the first time after assuming charge two years ago, at the CM’s home office, ‘Krishna’ and held discussions with him. However, it is learnt that the topic of vesting the Lokayukta with sweeping powers, was not discussed during the meeting.

The CM, during the discussions held on Wednesday March 24, agreed to meet three demands of the Lokayukta. While the meeting worked to contribute to the cordiality of the relationship between the government and the body created to stem corruption, the CM fell short by a large margin to join hands with the Lokayukta to root out corruption, as he did not say anything about any move to give more powers to the Lokayukta.

During the term of the previous Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy, an ordinance had been promulgated to give additional powers to the Lokayukta, but Yeddyurappa has failed to take follow up action to validate the same, although every party had announced in their election manifestos that they would vest the Lokayukta with lot of powers.

When the Lokayukta had submitted its report on mining irregularity, an angered Santosh Hegde, disillusioned over the inaction of the government, had threatened to walk to the Raj Bhavan, if no positive action was taken within three months. The government warded off the threat by forming an Action Committee, but at the same time, its action in revoking the suspensions of employees charged by the Lokayukta, had given rise to lot of heart burn.

Although Justice N Santosh Hegde made some scathing verbal attack at the lethargy of the state government in punishing the guilty at different occasions, the Chief Minister had not taken any initiative to meet him.  However, the last week’s comment of the Lokayukta that the government has been going back by two steps, every time he takes a step ahead in controlling corruption, appears to have awakened the CM about the necessity to pacify the Lokayukta.

It is learnt that the CM has agreed to revoke suspensions of employees, who are suspended as per the recommendations of the Lokayukta, only after getting the concurrence of the Lokayukta for the same. The other demands which the CM has agreed to meet are, sanctioning of additional allowance in tune with the personnel of Criminal Investigation Department to the Lokayukta police, revision of pay and allowances to the policemen on the model of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states, and filling up of vacant posts.