The Gujarat Governor Kamala Beniwal approved appointment of Justice DP Buch as the lokayukta of Gujarat, said official spokesperson of Gujarat Government Nitin Patel on Friday.
Patel, who is also Minister of Finance, Health and Transportation in the Modi Government said that the Governor accepted advice tendered by the Council of Ministers and has approved appointment Justice DP Buch as the lokayukta of Gujarat.
He informed that subsequent to such approval, State General Administrative Department (GAD) will make arrangement for administering oath of the office to Justice D P Buch in consultation with the Rajbhavan at a mutually convenient date.
It is noteworthy that the Council of Ministers has, on Wednesday, recommended to the Governor for appointing Justice DP Buch as the lokayukta, Gujarat State.
Even, Congress also hailed the appointment of Justice Buch, whose name was suggested by leader of opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, who had rejected few names suggested by the Gujarat government earlier.
With this development, the controversy created after Justice RA Mehta denied to take charge as Gujarat lokayukta. On August 7, Justice RA Mehta, who was appointed as the State’s lokayukt by Gujarat Governor didn’t accept the post after winning a long legal battle between Gujarat Government and Governor Kamla Beniwal over his appointment.
The seven page letter of Justice Mehta to Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Bhasker Bhattacharya and the State Governor created headlines. Justice Mehta said it was pointless working with a “reluctant government” that had waged a relentless and expensive court fight against him. He said that a lokayukta unwanted by the government cannot get all the necessary and timely support from a reluctant government.
He claimed that Rs. 45 crores said to be spent by the Gujarat Government in litigation which by any standard disproportionate figure. However, Gujarat government denied the charges made by Justice Mehta and said that after the Supreme Court verdict, the State Government was preparing for his arrival by arranging infrastructure facilities for the new lokayukta.