Retired Calcutta High Court judge Ashim Kumar Roy was on Friday appointed the new Lokayukta of West Bengal. The decision was taken at a meeting in the State Assembly where Speaker Biman Banerjee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan were present.
Justice Roy, who will occupy the post for three years, will be the second Lokayukta of the State after Samaresh Banerjee, who had served in the post between 2006 and 2009. There has been no Lokayukta in the State since 2009.
Justice Roy is presently serving as chairperson of the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission. Justice Soumitra Roy will be the new chairman of WBCERC, a statutory body that looks into irregularities in clinical establishments of the State.
In a related development, former IPS officer Raj Kanojia, who had resigned earlier this year, was appointed as the State Information Commissioner. Former State DGP Naparajit Mukherjee has also been given extension as member of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.
Bill passed
Earlier this year, the West Bengal Assembly had passed the Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2018, keeping the Chief Minister out of its purview in matters relating to public order.
The legislation, however, allows the Lokayukta to investigate matters relating to the CM on the remaining 58 subjects under the State List with the approval of two-third of the members of the Assembly present and voting; there are 59 subjects in the State List.
The TMC government had then said recruitment of police, deployment of forces and any other emergency situations would be regarded as public order.
(With PTI inputs)