Talking to The Pioneer, Gen Khanduri said that the lokayukta Bill, which was passed during BJP regime in 2011, has more teeth and could be a more effective instrument to combat corruption in Uttarakhand than the UPA's version of lokpal.
He expressed shock when he was told that the State Government has decided to repeal earlier lokayukta Act and said: "How can the CM say that the Government has decided to repeal itIJ It was passed by the Vidhan Sabha unanimously and approved by the President of India after around two years."
"As you know that the Congress Government is being survived by the People Democratic Front (PDF), which is comprised of three BSP, one UKD(P) and three Independent MlAs. So we will see whether the Government has followed the rule or notIJ" By saying this, Gen Khanduri has given enough hint that the BJP is going to give stiff fight to the treasury bench in the Upcoming Assembly session. Meanwhile, talking to media persons, State Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, who was very vocal for State lokayukta Act-2011 after the President's approval, said that this lokayukta would be a carbon copy of the Centre's lokpal. Gen Khanduri's lokayukta bill was also carbon copy of noted socialist Anna Hazare and the bill was drafted when Anna Hazare's agitation for a lokpal Bill was at its peak. In previous lokayukta bill, Chief Minister, ministers, MlAs, bureaucrats, former government servants and functionaries of the subordinate judiciary were under the ambit of lokayukta.