Appointment of Upa Lokayukta: Karnataka HC issues notice to state govt

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on a public interest litigation filed by a city-based advocate, seeking directions to initiate the process of appointment of the Upa Lokayukta. The post has been lying vacant for more than 50 days.   

Hearing the petition by advocate S Umapathi, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty issued the notice. The Upa Lokayukta post has been vacant since June 14, 2022, when Upa Lokayukta Justice BS Patil was appointed the Lokayukta. At present, of two Upa Lokayukta posts, one is vacant, and the state government has been negligent in strengthening the institution and is attempting to stifle the functioning of the Lokayukta by failing to appoint the Upa Lokayukta in a timely manner, he alleged.

He further stated that he was constrained to approach the court as the state government’s assurance to appoint the Upa Lokayukta remains unimplemented.The petitioner submitted that in the past too, when the posts of Upa Lokayukta and Lokayukta were vacant for more than one year, he had to approach the high court, which directed the state to fill the Upa Lokayukta’s post, by an order dated January 27, 2021. Similarly, on filing a petition before the high court, the appointment of the Lokayukta was expedited and Justice BS Patil was appointed on June 14, 2022, he pleaded.