Chief Minister Raghubar Das has assured that the office of lokayukta in Jharkhand would be strengthened further keeping in mind the Constitutional boundaries and the act in place governing the ombudsman for the State.
While opening the fully furnished office of lokayukta on Tuesday, the CM also pleaded to take easy and affordable justice to the poor citizens in the State. “The Government would look into the provisions made in the Constitution and also powers given under the lokayukta Act to the lokayukta in Jharkhand. Appropriate decision (about empowering the anti-corruption agency) would be taken based on that,” he said.
The ombudsman is functional in the State since 2004 without its own independent investigating wing and also does not have power to raid and seizure acting upon any complaint or otherwise. The demand is a long pending one and keeps coming before the Government time to time.
Nevertheless on the occasion the CM drew satisfaction over disposal of cases by the office. “Based on recent data, there were 4150 cases came before the lokayukta out of which 3200 have been disposed of. Now it has the best infrastructure with it and I hope complaints of the common people would be sorted out in even speedy manner,” added the CM.
Jharkhand lokayukta Justice (Retd) DN Upadhyay, several eminent jurists, Personnel Department Secretary Nidhi Khare, along with Secretary of Building Construction Department KK Soan were present on the occasion.
The CM also reiterated that his Government had so far been clean without any stain of corruption and added that an active anti-corruption watchdog would strengthen confidence of the people in the system even further.
“We are taking efforts so that justice can be taken up to the people standing last in queue. Poor people should have easy and cheaper access to justice. This can only be done in institutions like which work in an effective and speedy manner,” said the CM.
He alongwith the lokayukta, officials, Mandar MlA Gangotri Kujur and Ranchi Mayor Asha lakra took a round of the newly constructed building having total carpet area of 47500 square feet. The building costing `6.03 crore is a G+3 structure and equipped with rainwater harvesting facility, fire fighting system besides court room, library, video conferencing hall, record room. The building has come up within two years of its inception.