No Lokayukta unless ‘prior sanction’ clause is removed—Acaut

Dimapur, Oct. 2 (EMN): The anti-corruption platform Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (Acaut) has made it clear that it will not accept the Lokayukta ‘unless the clause of prior sanction of the appropriate authority is removed.’
The Acaut has also asked the government to stop playing dilly-delaying tactics about implementing the Lokayukta Bill.
The Acaut issued a press release on Monday informing about a meeting with the committee. According to the press release, the meeting of the Acaut of Nagaland with the Standing Committee on the formation of Lokayukta was conducted on Sep. 26 at the Secretariat Assembly.
The meeting was stated to have been presided over by Levi Rengma, parliamentary secretary for Housing), the press release informed.
The organisation stated: “Acaut Nagaland raised the concerns on the powers and functions of the Lokayukta and pointed that for Lokayukta to have teeth and be effective in tackling the systemic and pervasive corruption it was imperative to have an Investigative wing, prosecution wing and have the provision for Lokayukta to take up case Suo-moto.”
“The ACAUT members also made it clear that the Lokayukta cannot be accepted unless the prior sanction of the appropriate authority clause is removed.”
On raising these concerns, the sub-committee for drafting the Lokayukta decided have a next round of meeting on Oct. 7 and ‘iron out the concerns,’ the statement informed.
The Acaut has also informed that the organisation will be drafting ‘points of Lokayukta’ to be submitted to the drafting sub-committee on Lokayukta and ‘till such time the ACAUT Nagaland has put on hold the public resolution for “All Nagaland” agitation.’
While the ACAUT Nagaland is “all out working with sense of urgency for implementation of the Lokayukta Bill at the earliest,” the press release stated, the government of Nagaland is “reminded not to play dilly-delaying” tactics in the implementation of the Lokayukta Bill.
Further, the press release added, the government is “once again reminded to immediately terminate those backdoor appointments made post 6th June 2016.”