The Utkal Bharat party on Thursday began a two-day mass protest at the lower PMG here demanding appointment of lokayukta in Odisha. Several State and district level office bearers of the party have participated in the protest.
Addressing party leaders and workers, State president Kharavela Swain said since the death of former lokpal of Odisha Justice PK Patra on January 22, 2013, even after lapse of three and a half years, the post is yet to be filled by the Odisha Government.
At the time of demise of Justice Patra, a total of 1,526 cases were pending for scrutiny before the lokayukta. Since there is no lokayukta, these cases are not being examined now. New cases are also not being registered in the Office of lokayukta, He alleged. During Janlokpal campaign by Anna Hazare, the Odisha Government had announced that the State will appoint a multimember lokayukta panel within one month of the Centre doing so. The lokayukta law has been passed in State Assembly on February 14, 2014 and also has got concurrence of President of India in 2015 but astonishingly, no new lokayukta has been constituted in the State, Swain lamented.
Within the ambit of the lokayukta Bill, complaints can be registered against Chief Minister, Ministers, MlAs and Government officials pertaining to cases of corruption, partials, nepotism. In this law, panel will be headed by either a retired or serving High Court Judge with two judicial members and members from women, ST, SC and minority sections of society, taking the number to six.
The Chairman of the committee will be chosen by a panel headed by the Chief Minister with leader of Opposition and Chief Justice of State High Court. After the Bill was passed, the Odisha Government with much fanfare had announced that the State has been the first to have passed the lokayukta law. But unfortunately, the body is yet to be formed.
Among others, State vice president of Utkal Bharat lokanath Sarangi ,secretaries Sk Kamilluddin Ahmed and Banajabasini Tripathy, joint secretary Babuli Mallik, general secretary (women wing) Sabitri Jena, Youth wing president Jagadish Pradhan were present.