Controversy sparked over Madhya Pradesh lokayukta claim that it has detected wealth and properties worth over Rs 300 cr acquired allegedly through corrupt means in the last five years.
While Right to Information (RTI) activist and Transparency International member Ajay Dube referring to lokayukta's April 2013 letter said that at that time it was claimed that the amount detected during the said period was Rs 800 cr then how come the amount got down by Rs 500 cr.
As many as 146 cases relating to disproportionate assets (DA) were registered involving corrupt proceeds worth Rs 303 cr between June 29, 2009 and April 30, 2014, Madhya Pradesh lokayukta Justice (retd) Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar said.
He said the state lokayukta has registered 891 trap cases in which government officials were allegedly found demanding and receiving bribe from people during the period.
The lokayukta has registered 704 cases and detected or seized properties worth Rs 417.27 cr allegedly acquired through corrupt means between February 1982 and March 2013.
The State Government has punished 4,280 gazetted and non- gazetted officials during the period on the recommendations of the lokayukta for their alleged involvement in corruption, according to lokayukta's data.
Recently, the lokayukta police had conducted searches in the residence of an IPS officer for his alleged involvement in corruption. last week too, it had raided the official residence and other premises of State Joint Director (Industries), in two cities, and unearthed details of immovable properties worth crores, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.
lokayukta is a statutory body, free from the executive influence, mandated to check corruption in the State. While raids being conducted by the lokayukta is making news across the country, an anti-corruption activist in the State has raised doubts over claims made by it.
"There is no basis of their figure on wealth or properties acquired through corrupt means. lokayukta has not put its annual reports before state legislative assembly. In fact, they are boasting their work to visit foreign countries," said Ajay Dubey.
According to a letter written by MK Pal, the then Secretary of lokayukta, to the State Government's principal secretary in April last year, the lokayukta has seized about Rs 787 cr between 2010 and '12 and registered 678 cases between 2009 and April 2013 against corrupt Government officials.
The letter, copy of which was accessed by Dubey exercising right to information (RTI), was written by Pal informing state government about a tour to Finland and Sweden by lokayukta officials to study anti-corruption system there.
"The letter has all false claims by lokayukta on its work. If they have seized such a large number of ill-wealth why don't they make it public. Why is it shying away from putting its annual report before the legislative assembly," posed Dubey, adding that the lokayukta has not yet submitted its report or observation on the basis of its tours.
However, his claims were refuted by Naolekar. "It is not our job to put annual reports before the assembly. We have been giving our yearly reports to the state government. They should be doing it," the lokayukta said.