“Immediate need to amend obsolete Lokayukta legislation”

Terming corruption as the biggest stumbling block in national and social progress, Rajasthan Lokayukta Justice Sajjan Singh Kothari on Tuesday said there was an immediate need to amend the obsolete Lokayukta legislation.

Stressing the need for zero tolerance towards corruption, he said, the Lokayukta needs more teeth to justify its mandate and provide relief to the complainants.

“Corruption is today the biggest obstacle in development and is pervasive in all the sectors, be it public, private or administrative,” he said, adding, its complete eradication was the only way to ensure good governance in the country.

Mr Kothari said a report of Lokayukta amendment draft had been submitted to the government which formed a committee headed by the Advocate General.

“But even after one and a half years, we are awaiting his report,” he said.

In a meeting with NGOs and voluntary organisations at Jalore, he called upon them to hold camps to spread awareness and sensitise people about corruption and motivate them to combat it.

“Meanwhile, we are soon opening the offices of Lokayukta on divisional level and have also submitted a proposal to further take them to the district level in order to improve the functioning of the Lokayukta and reaching out to the large chunk of the people aggrieved by the corruption in the system,” he said.

Mr Kothari also said unless serious work is done for establishing high standards of public administration and developing fresh values in the system, India cannot attain the coveted place of the world leader. - PTI

Rajasthan Lokayukta stresses the need for zero tolerance towards corruption