Bhubaneswar, Jan 3 (IANS): The Odisha cabinet Friday decided to enact a new Lokayukt Act in the state within the next one month tackle corruption.

The chief minister and the council of ministers will also be under the purview of this proposed act, Naveen Patnaik Patnaik told reporters after chairing the cabinet meeting.

Patnaik said his government was committed to fighting corruption and ensuring transparency in public life. The state government had earlier announced that it would enact the ombudsman act three months after it was passed by the central government.

"The state government will get this legislation enacted within a period of one month, even though the central act provides for a window period of one year for implementation," the chief minister said.

President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday gave his assent to the Lokpal Bill 2013, which was passed earlier by both houses of parliament. Under the central act, each state must also pass a Lokayukt Act within a year.

Patnaik claimed that his government had always taken tough, effective and exemplary steps in tackling corruption, improving transparency and delivering public services in a timely manner.

"Be it the passing of the Special Courts Act which has provisions for confiscation of the property of corrupt public servants or the Public Service Delivery Act, which facilitates providing services in a time-bound manner, our government has always been a pioneer in the country," he said.

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