DNA: Mumbai: Sunday, December 14, 2014.
Around 127
cases have been filed against ministers at the Lokayukta in over 14 years,
according to an RTI reply. Activist Anil Galgali, who had sought the answer,
had also asked the number of cases in which Lokayukta had recommended that the
government take action.
Maharashtra
Lokayukta does not have punitive powers. It also does not cover the chief
minister. If there has been injustice, it can only recommend that the
government take corrective measures. In all it has sent around 2,034
recommendations. To the governor, it has sent around 600 reports. The most
number of cases against ministers was in 2003; in 2014, up to October, there
has been no case at all.
On action
taken, only in four cases has the government got back to the Lokayukta. The
four against whom action was taken were all former ministers. And the last
action against a minister was in 2002. The government in its report to the
Lokayukta had written that directives had been issued in cases of ministers
Sulekha Kumbhare, Kripashankar Singh, Nawab Malik, Syed Ahmed and Chhagan
Bhujbal.
While in some
cases directives were given that ministers not give oral orders, in others
ministers were told not to interfere with court orders. In some, ministerial
staff was directed to put things in writing, while in some they were asked to
give reasons for the orders they were issuing.
"I had
filed the RTI because the new CM had stated he would make the body more
powerful. It was to check the status of the body that I filed RTI. I have
written to him stating that now that he had become the CM, he should make
Lokayukta stronger and bring the CM under its purview. If it is made stronger,
it can take action against officials," said Galgali.
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