Lokayukta means “appointed by the people’ derived from Sanskrit word. It is anti-corruption ombudsman organization in the Indian states and the origin of Lokayukta can be trace back to the ombudsman in Scandinavian countries. Lokayukta can be defined in simple terms as an Anti-Corruption Act or it can also considered as a watchdog to pinpoint the wrong doing of the administration, to look into the complaints of the people and to suggest measures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Government. The establishment of the institution of Lokayukta in the state is to provide clean, transparent, and accountable Government of the people and Lokpal afor the Central Government. The Lokayukta Bill was by the Parliament to fight against corruption. The main objective of Lokayukta is to curb the menace of corruption providing within the State. When any individual makes a complaint against the public servant relating to corruption, mal-administration, favoritism, nepotism, etc, the Lokayukta looks into such matters and investigates and if they find out that the allegations are true, the public servant is punished. Public servant includes the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, the M.L.A, the Vice-Chancellor of Universities, Bureaucrats, Secretaries and the higher-ups of the Government department. Lokayukta is a great check on corruption, bring about transparency in the system, to make state administrative machinery citizen friendly.
Lokayukts is considered to be one of the most powerful institutes in the country and Lokayukta is a person who is appointed by the Governor, he must be a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court and an independent person not holding any office of profit, and members are not to be a member of parliament or legislature of state or connected with any political party and comprising of a state vigilance commissioner and a jurist or an eminent administrator as members known as Upa-lokayukta function together as an independent body which is free from the influence of the government, politicians, ministers, etc. They have power to search and seize any documents of the public servant during investigation. Lokayukta function largely depends upon jurisdiction vested in him and facilities provided for taking cognizance. He protects citizens right against mal-administration, corruption, delay, inefficiency, non-transparency, abuse of position, improper conduct, etc. He is representative of legislature, powerful friend of citizens. he looks forward in establishing an ‘open Government’ securing respect for the rule of law, an educator aiming at propagating the prevention of corruption, inefficiency and oral-administration in governance. As corruption in public life is a gross violation of human rights. Corruption is anti-people, anti-development and anti-national. It is essential that the three pillars of democracy i.e, legislature, judiciary, and executives are strong in structure and in pure in form and are un-corrupted.
Kezhokhoto Savi
(President NVCO & national award recipient)
Civil Right & Duties awareness campaigner
