Karnataka government to hire staff to strengthen Lokayukta

BENGALURU: The state cabinet has decided to strengthen the Karnataka Lokayukta, and has approved the recruitment of staff for accounts and prosecution for the anti-corruption watchdog. Law Minister J C Madhu Swamy said seven auditors, who are retired, will be hired on a contract and public prosecutors, working in the Lokayukta, will be renewed for the next year.  “The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) secretary has been instructed to take down the details of requirements by the Lokayukta and the state government will address them.”

Madhu Swamy said once the Anti-corruption Bureau is abolished, complaints registered with it will be taken up by the Lokayukta. “Our decision is clear and we will go with our manifesto. Since the court abolished the ACB, no cases have been registered with it since then. The Lokayukta will take up the cases now,” he said. When asked about the status of pending cases at the ACB, Madhu Swamy said they are studying the court’s order in detail. The court itself has given suggestions on what to do with the cases pending before the ACB.

When asked about a private petitioner going to the Supreme Court questioning the High Court’s order on abolishing the ACB, the minister said if the state government had appealed against the order, there would have been some weight.