Ex IPS Dinesh Kumar Bhatt was appointed as Deputy lokayukta by the State and was scheduled to be sworn in on October 16, but theoath-taking ceremony was postponed which has left several questions unanswered.
Why did officials keep Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in the darkIJ Why did the legal department, which had received the President's approval on the State lokayukta Act passed by Maj Gen (retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri's Government in 2011 and later sent for President's approval by the then governor Margaret Alva, keep the President's approval information under wrapIJ Was the State Government planning to deny the credit to former Chief Minister for his good workIJ Answers may be anything, but this incident has embarrassed Chief Minister Bahuguna and Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi.
Besides them, the State Advocate General UK Uniyal, who had given his comment before appointment of DK Bhatt as Deputy lokayukta, is running annoyed. Sources said that the department has sent the file with a note that UP lokayukta Act has provision of deputy lokayukta.
Sources said that the State Government had received the Uttarakhand lokayukta Act-2013, which was approved by the President of India Dr Pranab Mukherjee, on September 3.
The legal department has sent the Act for printing in Roorkee press in a routine fashion. Instead of doing so, they should have printed few hundred copies and circulated to each departments of the State.
At least they should have informed the Chief Minister while procuring final approval of the CM before sending it to the Governor for the appointment of Bhatt as Deputy lokayukta. The question being asked is will the chief minister take disciplinary action against the officials accountable for this embrassmentIJ
Sources further said that ex-IPS Bhatt appointment was approved by the governor on October 5 and the letter sent to IPS on October 10. Governor had issued warrant of appointment to Bhatt on October 10. Although chief secretary Subhash Kumar has categorically said that legal department had received the communiqué from the President's office on October 3 and they sent it for printing, ex-CM Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank claimed that the Act was received by the State on September 3 and department concerned had circulated the act to the department by September 24.
Although neither chief secretary nor Dr Nishank has presented document to ascertain their claim so far but raised question mark over the efficiency of department concerned. Even if we believe that department received the Act on October 3, why did they fail to inform the Governor or chief minister till October 15IJ
Unofficially, officials said the Governor has not presided oath to Bhatt but they forgot to mention that people take Rajbhawan seriously than State. This episode has madesevere dent in the Rajbhawan's reputation.
Instead of intimating the State Government about the State lokayukta Act-2013, they were seeking opinion of State Advocate general for the appointment of Deputy lokayukta.
If they had referred to the President's approval, then deputy lokayukta appointment would have got cancelled automatically. As per the State lokayukta Act, the State would have one lokayukta and four members only.
Ironically, as per the terms and conditions, no public service commission chairman or member can be appointed in any post coming under the State Government.
Its objective is that chairman and member will conduct their service without any partiality. Ex-IPS Bhatt, who was member of PCS and was supposed to retire by December 2013, resigned from his post in September with a hope that he would be accommodated as Deputy lokayukta by the State.
The department concerned did not bother to intimate to the CM Bahuguna or Governor Dr Qureshi, but they intimated former chief minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who started making queries with the Governor and Chief Minister about the State lokayukta Act.
During investigation, it was revealed that the President has approved the State lokayukta Act-2013, so Rajbhawan, which had made all preparations for the swearing-in ceremony, had to postpone the ceremony.
Talking to The Pioneer, Dr Nishank said that with this incident, it has been proved that the State Government does not have command over its officials. Even they have maligned the image of the Governor by keeping him in the dark.