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SC goes after states about Lok Ayuktas

The Supreme Court has directed 16 states to file affidavits within eight weeks indicating what they have done to set up Lok Ayuktas.

The affidavits should be filed by senior officers and should detail the steps taken so far, the court added.

The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Sujata V Manohar and R C Lahoti during the resumed hearing of a public interest petition by the Common Cause, a Delhi-based non governmental organisation, which highlighted corruption at the political and bureaucratic levels in India.

The governments of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab have informed the court that the institution of Lok Ayukta was functioning in their respective states. Sikkim and Manipur informed the court about the steps they have taken towards this end.

The 16 states yet to respond to the SC's notices are: Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The Union government was asked to indicate through an affidavit the steps it has taken to have the Lok Pal Bill passed in Parliament.

The comptroller and auditor general of India, the chief vigilance commissioner and the Central Bureau of Investigation were directed to inform what action they had taken to curb corruption.

UNI

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