Immanuel Baptist Church hosts interactive session on Lokayukta

Dimapur, May 23 (EMN): Immanuel Baptist Church in Kohima conducted an interactive session to discuss the anti-corruption agency Lokayukta on May 21 during which various aspects of corruption in private and public domains were discussed. An advocate, Kezhokhoto Savi, the president of the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) gave a discourse on the functions of the Lokayukta in Nagaland and how it will be beneficial for citizens of the state, a press release on Thursday from the NVCO stated. The press release offered updates about the points of discourse that were given to the gathering during the programme: Section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013 provides for establishments of the Lokayukta for the states to inquire into allegations of corruption against public functionaries. The Lokpal Act, which envisages appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in the states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants. An anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazarre had been fighting for the establishment of the Lokpal and Lokayukta in the states. The country’s first Lokapl, the anti-corruption ombudsman, is functioning in New Dehi. On February 2 2019 Nagaland state's governor appointed Uma Nath Singh, a retired chief justice of the Meghalaya High Court as the Lokayukta for the state. The Lokayukta in Nagaland is now functioning in the office building of the Vigilance Commission, the press release stated. The NVCO stated further that section-4 of the Act stipulates that the Lokayukta or Upa-Lokayukta are to hold no other office. The Lokayukta or Upa-Lokayukta shall not be a member of Parliament or the legislature of any state. Further, a person who has been removed or dismissed from service of the union or a state, shall not hold any office of trust or profit, other than his office as the chairperson or a member, or be affiliated with any political party, the NVCO stated. The NVCO asked the state's government to allow the Lokayukta to work independently 'without lack of prosecution powers' and also to provide sufficient manpower with proper facilities so as to enable the Lokayukta to work in Nagaland "as the most effective and powerful statutory body that is empowered to probe complaints of abuse of position and corruption against public servants." Offices including that of the state's chief minister's office comes under the ambit of the Lokayukta, the press release stated. The main objective of the Lokayukta is to curb corruption within a state. "When any individual makes a complaint against the ‘public servant’ relating to corruption, mal-administration, favouritism, 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." The organisation called the Lokayukta institution a "great check on corruption" to bring about transparency in the system and to make state administration machinery citizen-friendly. 'The Lokayukta protects citizens' right against mal-administration (sic), corruption, delay, inefficiency, non-transparency, abuse of position, improper conduct etc. Lokayukta is the representative of legislature, powerful friend of citizens,' the NVCO stated. The press release stated further that social justice is the need of the hour. During the interactive session, the gathering queried about issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Article 371 A of the Constitution of India, Inner Line Permit; the issue of giving Indigenous inhabitant Certificate to non-indigenous citizens or inhabitants etc., the press release stated. 'The congregation termed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill of 2016 as being solely against the interests of the present and future generation of the Naga society,' the press release asserted.