Newly appointed lokayukta of UP, Justice (Retired) Virendra Singh stressed that he was committed to curtailing growing corruption in the government and the bureaucracy.
“Corruption can not be weeded out completely. But with concerted efforts, it could be curtailed to a great extent and I will try the same. Besides it would be my priority to give more teeth to the lokayukta as it has been done by some neighbouring states. In the absence of authority, it would be difficult to fight corruption at the top level,” said Singh candidly in lucknow on Wednesday.
He was talking to the media soon after the Supreme Court announced him as the new lokayukta of UP. Justice Singh replaces Justice (Retd) NK Mehrotra whose term expired more than a year back.
The new lokayukta also said that since his appointment was non-political, hence it would give him a free hand to work for the welfare of the public.
“My appointment is totally non-political. It would hence give me a free hand to act with impartiality and punish all those indulging in corruption, irrespective of his political or other status,” Singh stressed.
When asked if his `Yadav’ lineage helped him to get his name included in the five member panel sent to the Apex Court by the UP government, he outrightly denied it. “I have served as a judge and so far in my life, people remember me for my work,” clarified Singh.
When asked about the Governor and state government discord over the appointment of lokayukta which delaying the process, Singh refused to make any comment. Justice Singh retired as a Judge of Allahabad High Court in January, 2011 and was appointed as Chairman of the UP State Consumer Forum on November 24,2012 and the term expires on January, 2016. After graduating in law from Meerut University in 1972 , Justice Singh joined the PCS (J) in 1977 and was promoted to the Higher Judicial Service in 1989. In 2005, he was promoted as District & Sessions Judge and later elevated as Additional Judge on April 13, 2009. He took the oath as High Court Judge on December 24, 2010.