Lokayukta Kohima Morung File Photo
RTI activists seek Governor’s intervention
Kohima, July 24 (MExN): Despite “functioning in full swing” for the last three years and five months, the State Government is yet to frame the Nagaland Lokayukta office rules and two RTI activists have made a representation to the Governor of Nagaland seeking his intervention over the issue.
In the representation, the activists Odi Jamir and ST Yapang Lkr pointed out that Nagaland Lokayukta Act, was passed in the year 2017 and thereafter on January 23, 2019, a High Power Committee (HPC) was constituted to look into the issue.
The Committee was to “consider and bring out the Nagaland Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta (Condition of Service Rules” and to give effect to Section 36 of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act, 2017 on the transfer of service condition for staff under state Vigilance Commission to Lokayukta.
However, the activists said that till today no such Rules have been framed by the State Government.
“It is our experienced that many often when we filed cases in the Nagaland Lokayukta, the appellant and the employees are facing many hurdles and obstacles due to absence of specific Rules and regulations,” they said.
The activists also noted that it is imperative of the Government to frame the rules to function of a new office before its start functioning and expressed surprise as to how the latter ‘keeps pending and allows the functioning of an ombudsman department without Rules for such a long time.’
In the interest of public service, the Government is expected to provide administrative and investigation officers as well as staff ; conveyance for mobilisation; strong rules and regulations; and sufficient budget to Nagaland Lokayukta, it added.
The representation to the Governor cited a reply to the Right To Information (RTI) by the State’s Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department on July 5, 2022.
In the reply, the department informed that Nagaland Lokayukta Rules has not been framed till date though a HPC was constituted to look into the issue.
“Draft Rules is under consideration and is yet to be finalised. Hence, the information cannot be provided under sub-rule (i) of Sections of RTI Act,2005,” the department added, an request for copy of the draft rules.
Accordingly, the RTI activists state in the representation to the Governor that they are “deeply concerned about the Nagaland Lokayukta for absence of established Rules for day to day function of its office.”
Therefore, they requested the Governor of Nagaland to intervene in the matter of framing Rules “without any further delay, so as to enable to function the Nagaland Lokayukta office without any hindrances and deliver the Justice up to the extent of public expectation.”
It must be noted here that the State Government is yet fill the fill the vacancy of new Nagaland Lokayukta, nearly one and half years after the previous incumbent vacated the post. As per its website, the tenure of the first Nagaland Lokayukta was from February 22, 2019, to February 5, 2021.
The duties of Lokayukta, as provided by the Act, are being discharged by the Upa-Lokayukta since then.
