By IANS,
Yadgir (Karnataka) : Karnataka Lokayukta Shivaraj V. Patil said Thursday the institution of ombudsman needs adequate and not supreme powers to tackle graft.
“Paramadhikara bekilla, saakashtu adhikara beku (Don’t need supreme powers, need adequate powers),” he said in Kannada addressing reporters in this north Karnataka town, about 500 km from Bangalore.
Patil’s remarks assume significance in the light of the raging controversy over the Jan Lokpal bill proposed by a group of civil society activists which many consider as unwieldy and all too powerful.
Patil, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, also said that “one institution and one person cannot eradicate corruption”.
“All sections of the society should be involved to achieve this goal,” he said.
Patil said details of the powers the ombudsman needs would be submitted to the state government soon.
He had earlier suggested, among other things, that the state government should take ombudsman’s nod for reinstating officials suspended on charges of graft after raids by the ombudsman’s office.
Patil also wants powers to be clearly defined for action against legislators for not submitting a statement of their assets in time every year.
At present the legislators are required to submit the statement June 30 of every year. The defaulters are served a notice and if they fail to respond even after this, their names are made public after informing the governor.
Patil was all praise for his predecessors for their work.
“N. Venkatachala (who was Lokayukta in 2001-06) showed to the people that the institution existed and N. Santosh Hegde (2006-11) showed how it functions,” said Patil who took over on Aug 3 for a five-year tenure.
Asked on his style of functioning, Patil said each individual has own way. “You watch my way of working and decide on the style,” he said.
Karnataka was a pioneer in setting up the Lokayukta. Though it came into existence in 1986, it was Venkatachala, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, who virtually made it a house-hold name by conducting highly publicized raids on government offices across the state, seizing money and berating employees for their shoddy work.
He was also engaged in a constant battle with the state government for powers to act on his own initiative to prosecute corrupt officials and bring chief minister, other ministers and senior officials within the Lokayutka’s ambit.
His battle was carried on by Hegde, one of the members of the civil society group that has drafted the Jan Lokpal bill.
When the Karnataka assembly passed the legislation in 1984 to set up the Lokayukta, the chief minister was also placed under the ombudsman’s purview. However, this power was taken away within six months.