There was uproar against the NPF regime in 2017 over its failure to set up Lokayukta, an anti-corruption ombudsman, in the state. The public had no other choice but to hit the streets as the Nagaland Lokayukta Bill 2015 was laying dormant for a while after being introduced in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. That was despite the Lokayukta Act, 2013 coming into force on January 16, 2014 and the Supreme Court’s directive to appoint the official in all the states. Following protests by a couple of organisations in the state capital city, the NLA finally passed the bill in December 2017, but the then DAN-III government ended without appointing the Lokayukta, who is supposed to check corruption and fight for the people. More than a year after the much-needed bill was passed, the Neiphiu Rio-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) made it a reality at the recently concluded budget session with former chief justice of Meghalaya High Court Justice Uma Nath Singh as the first Lokayukta of Nagaland. It was a significant and courageous move – courageous because many states are still reluctant to set up such an anti-corruption body that has the potential to put the corrupt government officials, including the chief minister in trouble. The debate on Citizenship Amendment Bill might have overshadowed the appointment of Lokayukta but it cannot take away its significance. If the failure to set up the body merits protests, the new development should be welcomed.
The Lokayukta, along with the Income Tax Department and the Anti Corruption Bureau, is supposed to be a great instrument to combat corruption and mal-administration. It investigates cases related to corruption, looks into citizens’ grievances, brings about transparency in administration and exposes fraudulent politicians and government officials. Former Lokayukta of Karnataka N Santosh Hegde uncovered the mining scam in the state, costing the then Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa the top post besides being jailed for three weeks in 2011 for his alleged connection with the scam. The Lokayukta can be that effective and even more if given adequate power to carry out investigation and expose the truth. The people of Nagaland will benefit if corrupt activities like backdoor appointment, bribery and misappropriation of public funds are checked.
However, Lokayukta can be toothless and be of no use if it is not backed with sufficient fund, staff, and an independent investigating agency. Today, almost all the Indian states have Lokayukta following Supreme Court’s directive but it is obvious that corruption is still rampant. This body, which is supposed to check corruption, won’t be effective if the investigative power is stripped off.
