Gujarat Lokayukta is still sometime away 18.08.2011 | 22:27 Ahmedabad Vijay Shah

After the Gujarat government appointed a commission to probe allegations of corruption against the state over the last few years, there is talk of appointing a Lokayukta in the state as well.

While addressing the media, state government spokesperson, Jaynarayan Vyas said, “we have boosted up the process of appointing Lokayukta in the state,…in near future the state will have Lokayukta.”

From 1985 till 2003 Gujarat had a Lokayukta, but for the last eight years this office has been lying vacant. Various NGOs and RTI activists of the state have been urging for appointment of a Lokayukta for several years.

Even during the protests held at Ahmedabad in support of Anna Hazare’s movement to implement Jan Lokpal Bill, people raised their voice in support of appointment of Lokayukta in the state. “We are surprised that why the Modi government is not appointing Lokayukta in the state. The appointment will curb corruption and keep governance under a scanner”, said Gautam Thakkar, General Secretary of People’s Union for Civil Liberties.

Early last year in March, Modi had twice organized meetings to select a name for the office of Lokayukta, but on both instances the leader of Opposition, Shaktishin Gohil, remained absent.

According to law, generally, the appointment is made with the mutual consent of the Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader.

In April 2010, Modi returned back the legal and constitution note to the Governor of state, Kamala Beniwal who then asked Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhyay to recommend a name for Lokayukta so that the government can start the process of appointing the same.

Later in December 2010, the Chief Justice suggested the name of retired Justice SD Dave’s name to the State government, but Dave expressed his unwillingness to work as a Lokayukta.

Thereafter, in June 2011, the Chief Justice recommended the name of retired Justice RA Mehta. The State government asked him to rethink his recommendation, but the Chief Justice again recommended the same name on August 2.

“On 7 June Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhyay had recommended the name of Justice RA Mehta. State government asked CJ to rethink over it, but on 2 August the CJ again recommended the same name. So now government has taken it into consideration”, Vyas added.

In the absence of a Lokayukta the state on Wednesday appointed a commission under Justice MB Shah to probe charges of corruption against the state.