The wait continues for the naming of a new Uttar Pradesh lokayukta as a meeting on Sunday to decide on the same failed to do so with the Allahabad high court chief justice questioning the validity of the process.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud took up the issue of the validity of the process in light of the Lokayukta amendment Bill passed recently in the state Assembly.
"The chief justice was of the view that as a Bill was passed in the state Assembly, deciding on the name of the Lokayukta could amount to its contempt. He suggested that legal opinion be taken for the same," said Leader of Opposition in UP Assembly, Swami Prasad Maurya.
The chief justice along with Maurya had met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at his official residence to finalise the name of the new Lokayukta.
"The name of the lokayukta could not be discussed. After seeking legal opinion, a meeting will again be held next week when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav agrees for the same," added Maurya.
He said that although he pointed out at the meeting that the Bill was still pending before the governor and the old process was still valid, the chief justice still pressed for taking legal opinion.
The UP Assembly had last month passed the Uttar Pradesh lokayukta and UP lokayukta (amendment) bill, 2015, to amend lokayukta Act, dropping the Allahabad high court chief justice from the selection committee.
The Bill proposed that the selection committee be made a four-member body comprising the chief minister, leader of Opposition, speaker and a retired judge who would be selected in consultation by the chief minister and the speaker.
The amendment was passed after the governor refused to accept the appointment of Justice (retd) Ravindra Singh as the new lokayukta on the grounds that a proper meeting of the selection committee had not been held before finalising the name.
Further, the chief justice had expressed reservation in view of Singh's apparent proximity to the ruling Samajwadi Party. The bill is still awaiting the governor's assent.
With no consensus over his name, Singh had opted out of the race for the key post by sending a letter to the chief minister.
The state government and the governor have not been on the same page on Singh's nomination and the file recommending his name has moved back and forth nearly half-a-dozen times between Raj Bhawan and the state government.
With the Supreme Court deadline to appoint a new lokayukta already over, the state government is in a hurry to get the new incumbent in place.
The present ombudsman, Justice NK Mehtrotra, has already spent nine years in office.
The tussle with Raj Bhawan has come at a time when the governor has refused to clear five names for Legislative Council membership in the nominated members' category and sought details about them from the state government twice.
