The Hindu : Karnataka News : Uniform Lokayukta Act drafted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Uniform Lokayukta Act drafted

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, FEB. 10. The All-India Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta Association has urged the Centre to frame a common Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta Act for all States and Union Territories, the Karnataka Lokayukta and association president, N. Venkatachala, said here on Wednesday.

Mr. Venkatachala told presspersons that the association members submitted a draft of the Act to the Union Law Minister, H. Bharadwaj, in New Delhi on Wednesday. The draft was finalised at the meeting of the association on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he said, had shown interest in bringing such an Act into force. "There is a congenial environment for enactment of a uniform law," he said. A uniform Act, he said, will help in its effective enforcement and check the growing corruption.

Mr. Venkatachala said there are different Lokayukta Acts for 16 States. The provisions of the uniform Act, he said, enables the Lokayukta to monitor the public services coming under their jurisdiction and initiate action where needed. It empowers the Lokayuktas to direct public servants to deliver the goods. He said if the Centre enacts a uniform Act there will be no need to amend the State Lokayukta Acts for giving more powers to the Lokayuktas and Upa Lokayuktas. The State Government, he said, has still not amended the Act.

The association pressed the Centre to enact the Lokpal Bill early.

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