Imlisanen Jamir
On February 2, the Nagaland State Governor appointed Justice Uma Nath Singh as the Lokayukta for the state, paving the way for eventual implementation of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act, 2017.
Justice Singh will hold the office for a term of five years from which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of 70 years; whichever is earlier. The other terms of office and conditions of service shall be as stipulated in Section 7 (1) to (4) of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act 2017 (Act 1 of 2018).
The appointment of Justice Singh, a former Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, as Lokayukta has been the culmination of a long journey towards establishment of the anti-corruption authority or ombudsman in the state.
Civil society organisations over the past couple of years have taken out drives and continuously voiced out for establishment of the Lokayukta. And even after the bill was passed and received the nod from the Governor, there were issues with the composition of the selection committee, eventually leading to an amendment that brought the Chief Minister into the committee.
Be that as it may, the appointment of the Lokayukta is a step forward.
It is now pertinent to ensure that the authority is empowered to perform its role—which is to represent the interests of the public. Most importantly, “it investigates allegations of corruption and mal-administration against public servants and is tasked with speedy redressal of public grievances.”
The mere existence of the anti-corruption authority however serves no purpose, as seen from examples of numerous states where the Lokayukta has been ineffectual. Many state governments have been accused of "deliberately weakening" the Lokayukta. This has been done through government mechanisms by which the body is deprived of crucial assets to perform effectively.
Lack of prosecution powers, adequate staff and infrastructure, funds and lack of independence are some of the ways that the Lokayukta can be stifled.
The inevitable conclusion is that anti-corruption measures have a tendency to be mired in expediency, and the political class is nowhere near adopting the sort of effective and credible mechanism to combat corruption that the people want.
The Nagaland Government as well as civil bodies need to realise that there is no reason to have created the institution of the Lokayukta in public life if the body is neutered or its suggestions are not enforced.
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