Dimapur, Oct. 9 (EMN): While rejecting the Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2015 –declaring it as “useless” – Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (Acaut) has submitted a recommendation for Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2017.
The rejection as well as proposal for a new Lokayukta bill was stated in an Acaut letter addressed to the chairman of the standing committee on Lokayukta, Nagaland Legislative Assembly. The letter, dated October 9, was made available to the local press.
According to the Acaut, the consultation between the standing committee and Acaut on September 26 last, was ‘unfortunately held in a rushed manner.’ It stated that the committee should have given Acaut members the Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2015, for thorough study before extending its invitation.
“After having perused the draft bill, the Acaut can only conclude that the government's Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2015 is useless. The Acaut Nagaland would go as far to claim that the bill is an attempt to hoodwink the Naga public. Therefore, the Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2015, cannot be accepted by the Acaut Nagaland under any circumstances.”
It listed at least ten sections of the “draft Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2015” as unacceptable. “Almost one-third of the Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2015, is unacceptable,” it stated.
The Acaut also submitted a “draft proposal titled ‘Acaut Nagaland recommendation - Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2017’ to the committee containing “all the salient features necessary for an effective Lokayukta.”
It stated that unless the committee was willing to draft a new bill and reintroduce Nagaland Lokayukta Bill, 2017 “in the special session of the NLA – after crucial inputs from ACAUT Nagaland or adoption of its draft proposal, there can be no meeting ground.”
It declared: “We cannot partake in an exercise where the people of Nagaland are to be taken for a ride by setting up a Lokayukta which will be just in name. Therefore, if our proposals are acceptable, the chairman of the standing committee may call the Acaut Nagaland for another but last round of consultative meeting immediately.”
