Bengaluru: Activists are up against the Siddaramaiah government over an order to transfer powers to investigate corruption cases from the Lokayukta police to a newly formed anti-corruption bureau.
The Karnataka Lokayukta's office is facing a credibility crisis after the most recent Lokayukta, Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, stepped down following his son's arrest in an alleged extortion racket. Before that, for nearly ten years, the Karnataka Lokayukta has been an institution renowned for being a tough watchdog.
The latest order of the Karnataka government which calls for the formation of a new anti-corruption bureau has drawn flak from activists. They have alleged that the government wants to rob the Lokayukta police of its powers.
RTI activist SR Hiremath said, "What was a glorious history of Karnataka, this chief minister is undoing with a dinky little order by misinterpreting the Supreme Court order. It is basically protecting the corrupt and allowing corruption to flourish."
The acitivists are angry over two provisions - permission required from top government leaders to investigate any corrupt officer and transfer of all cases under the prevention of corruption act currently with the Lokayukta police to the ACB.
The Chief Minister however says he is implementing a Supreme Court order and that the Lokayukta police will not be disbanded.
"It has been done according to Supreme Court and high court. The police will continue to be there with Lokayukta. That is not removed. This is a separate wing,"Siddaramaiah said.
Comments
0 comment