In order to infuse greater probity into public life Bharatiya Suraaj Manch (BSM) has inquired from the Jharkhand lokyukta about its anti-corruption measures and veracity of the cases probed so far. The civil society organisation’s latest step is an extension of its massive exercise during the parliamentary elections when it evaluated the candidates into fray from different constituencies and gave ratings for the voters to judge.
In its letter written on Sunday to the ombudsman the Manch said, “After electoral reforms and right to recall now the Manch has turned towards anti-corruption measures. The first step in this direction is quizzing the lokayukta about the work done/not done by this august institution which is meant especially to curb corruption among the high and the mighty.”The organisation has also given time of ten days to the lokayukta office to replay to queries asked about some specific cases being probed. The response received would be forwarded finally for the consideration to the People’s Central Jury, headed by Justice (retd) PB Sawant for its evaluation and rating about the office.
BSM stressed on lokayukta’s importance in ensuring clean public life and good governance sans corruption and marked certain queries about the lokayukta. “The Manch and its Central Jury have seen the Jharkhand lokayukt Act and the Annual Report available on the website of the lokayukt, Jharkhand. We were expecting the Annual Report of 2012-13, if not 2013-14, on the website, but we could find only the Annual Report for the year 2011-12,” reads the letter addressed to Justice (retd) Amreshwar Sahay, Jharkhand lokayuka.
It also admitted the Jharkhand lokayukta Act was among the weakest and the worst in the country which did not empower the ombudsman sufficiently. “However, within the limitations imposed by the law, the Manch expected some action from the lokayukt against the high and the mighty for which the institution of the lokayukt has been created,” the letter observed.
Referring the annual report, BSM has sought for explanation on chapter IV (p 24) of it. The highest ranking officer against whom enquiry was taken up was an ADM rank officer named Raj Mohan Tewari. “The rest are mostly very small functionaries. One or two executive engineers are also there. There are no Collectors, DIGs, IGs, Commissioners and Secretaries to the Government in the list. WhyIJ”
The letter also questions the office’s sincerity on spending most of its budget allocated for vehicles and others but out of the Rs one lakh allocated for making the institution popular, only Rs29,000 were utilised.“Very serious complaints are appearing in the print and electronic media every now and then regarding corruption and scams by Chief Minister and ministers of Jharkhand. The Central People’s Jury has desired to know if the office of the lokayukt has been taking suo motu cognizance of allegations of corruption against those high and mighty people too, for which essentially the institution of the lokayukta was created,” mentions the letter asking what was done by the office to probe and prevent corruption among the who’s who.
Beside Justice Sawant, ex-Chairman of the Press Council of India, Shyam Benegal, Julio Ribeiro, ex-DGP, Punjab and a former Indian Ambassador to Romania, Ram Bahadur Rai, Journalist, and Bl Vohra are the members of the Central Jury.