Guv returns Lokayukta bill
PTI, PANAJI | 16 November 2011 22:31 ISTGoa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said the Governor has referred back the 'Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011' to the state government raising some queries.
Kamat told reporters in Panaji the bill has been referred to the state Law Department to examine the queries and write back to the Raj Bhavan.
The bill passed on October 6 by the state legislative Assembly was referred to the governor's office a fortnight ago.
When asked to elaborate, Kamat replied, "he did not know what were the queries raised by Raj Bhavan".
The legislation, initially named as 'Goa Lokayukta Bill 2003', was passed in 2007 and thereafter referred to the President, however, it was sent back by the President pointing out certain queries.
Meanwhile, as the anti-graft movement led by Anna Hazare gathered steam across the country, the said legislation was taken up in the Goa Legislative Assembly in the recently held session.
The bill was passed under the new name of the 'Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011', and was referred to the Governor for his assent. Kamat said the bill was referred back this week.
Meanwhile, the India Against Corruption (IAC) who was instrumental in the passage of the bill today alleged that the decision to refer back the bill smacks of delaying tactics by the state government.
"The bill should have been directly sent to President as all the queries pointed out last time were satisfied," IAC activist Satish Sonak said, adding that the state government should make public all the objections raised by governor.
"If the government wants to earn the confidence of public, it should let people know what are the objections raised," Sonak said.
The respect for the Office of the Governor would have been enhanced if he would have advised the State Government to bring up a Bill for an effective independent " Lokpal" without any delay--to put a stop to the rampant corruption in the State...
Instead his act of returning the Bill--would help the corrupt to keep going the corrupt criminal activities unabated....
I am sure the bill will have loopholes so that politicians can escape from lokayukta cases easily.