The Odisha Nagarika Samaj (ONAS) jointly with the Odisha lokayukta Abhiyan organised a workshop here on Sunday to deliberate the status of the lokayukta Bill in the State as well as appointment of a lokpal at the Centre.
In the wake of a national movement in 2010-11 spearheaded by social activist Anna Hazare for Jan lokpal Bill, a group of civil society organisations and individuals formed an alliance called the Odisha lokayukta Abhiyan.
The lokapal and the lokayukta Act was passed in the Parliament in December 2013. Though the institutions should have been formed within one year, it has not happened as yet, rued ONAS president Jantrana Parikhit.
He pointed out that in Odisha, in February 2014, three months before the general elections, the Government got passed the lokayukta Act in the Assembly. But two years and five months after, the State is yet to initiate the process of appointing a lokayukta, he lamented.
Rules for the Act have not yet been framed and not notified in Gazette, Parikhit further pointed out.
In the last Assembly session, there were several charges of corruption. The leader of Opposition challenged the Government to appoint a lokayukta so that he would place the evidences of corruption, said ONAS secretary Subash Chandra Panda.
He also said, “We reviewed the status of lokayukta (appointment) at the meeting. A lokpal has not also been appointed at Centre.”
Odisha lokayukta Abhiyan convenor Chhita Behera, former diplomat Abasara Beuria, Justice Umacharan Mishra and ONAS working committee president Kiran Shankar Sahoo also spoke at the workshop.
They wanted revival of the old movement to press for amendment to the Odisha lokayukta Act, amendment of the Act 2013 and to initiate a process of appointment lokayuta in the State.
A working committee should be formed with juries, social activists and citizens to press for amendment to the existing Acts at the State level and at the Centre, they said.
“We will write a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard,” said Parikhit.
Critical differences between the lokpal and the lokkayukta Act 2013, and the Odisha lokayukta Bill 2014 were discussed at the workshop. Jantra Parikhit chaired the meeting.