Model Lokayukta bill released
Bill that aims at acting as an independent body to investigate corrupt public servants was drafted by an NGO called Arappor Iyyakam.
Chennai: A model Tamil Nadu bill for the Lokayukta was released by former Supreme Court Justice and former Karnataka Lokayukta Santhosh Hegde and received by senior advocate and activist Prashanth Bhushan on Saturday.
The bill that aims at acting as an independent body to investigate corrupt public servants was drafted by an NGO called Arappor Iyyakam and is inclusive of public and expert opinions. The expert committee that was consulted in the drafting of the bill included Justice Santosh Hegde, senior journalist Gnani Sankaran, Vasanthi Devi, former Vice Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Suresh, national secretary of the PUCL, and retired IAS officer Poornalingam. The NGO aims at pressurising political parties to use the model as a template for the creation of an independent Lokayukta in the state.
While addressing the audience, Hegde stressed on the importance of Lokayukta to curb the increasing levels of corruption in the government and narrated from his own experience, “The Lokayukta has been very successful in taking action against corrupt officials especially in the case of former CM Yeddurappa. I even handled a case once where a doctor was demanding a bribe just to perform a surgery. Such wrongdoings should be monitored.”
Arappor Iyakkam has continuously campaigned for the establishment of the Lokayukta in Tamil Nadu, as it is only one of two states that have not passed the Lokayukta or a similar act, even though the state leads in corruption.