The government may drop the clause on setting up of a Lokayukta in states in the Lokpal Bill to bring some opposition parties as also allies like Trinamool Congress on board.
The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Gujarat assembly, which curtails the 'primacy' of the chief justice of the state high court and the governor in the matter of appointment of the Lokayukta.
The Karnataka high court on Tuesday struck down the appointment of Justice Chandrashekaraiah, the Upa Lokayukta. Justice N Kumar and Justice Kempanna observed that due process was not followed while appointing the Upa Lokayukta.
The SC recalled its earlier order appointing controversial Justice Virendra Singh as UP Lokayukta and named retired judge Sanjay Mishra as the new ombudsman.
The state government had recommended the name of Justice S R Bannurmath as the next Lokayukta. However, the Governor sent the file back stating that he required clarifications on the same.
The Karnataka government will have to restart its lookout for a new Lokayukta after the Governor formally rejected the name of Justice S R Bannurmath on Monday.
The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav decided to keep the Lokayukta out of the purview of the RTI Act, a senior official said.
Contrary to what has been said a couple of weeks back, the Karnataka government has written to the Lokayukta that it is on course to initiate action based on the report on illegal mining.
After the Supreme Court upheld the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat, Justice (retd) R A Mehta on Wednesday said the Modi government's attitude will not come in the way of his work.
The Bharatiya Janata Party gave notices in both Houses of Parliament for suspension of Question Hour to discuss the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat by the Governor without the consent of the state government.
Talking to PTI, Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi, who headed a three-member ministerial team to fine tune the draft of the proposed legislation approved by state cabinet, said it will be the most "effective and strong" Lokayukta.
Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has launched an inquiry against yet another minister in the Mayawati government for alleged misuse of office, just days after the ombudsman recommended sacking of the fifth member of her ministry.
A landmark bill for creation of Lokpal was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday night with the government making it clear that setting up of Lokayuktas by the states would not be mandatory, amending a contentious provision in view of opposition from allies and others.
Gujarat governor's decision to appoint Justice R A Mehta as Lokayukta was taken in haste, and without "aid or advice" of the council of ministers, state government on Wednesday stated before the Gujarat high court.
A week after chiding the Karnataka government over the "inordinate delay" in appointing the Lokayukta, the Karnataka high court on Monday directed it to begin the process of appointment in the next two days.
Barely one-and-half months after assuming office, Karnataka Lokayukta Shivaraj Patil has landed in a row for securing allotment of two residential plots from two housing cooperative societies violating rules.
The Gujarat government on Wednesday said the state high court verdict upholding appointment of Lokayukta by Governor would be challenged in the Supreme Court following consultations with legal experts.
The Gujarat high court gave a split verdict on the appointment of a Lokayukta by the governor with one judge upholding it and another differing from that view.
In a huge embarrassment to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, Lokayukta sleuths on Monday conducted searches at the residences of Deputy Chief Minister and state unit chief K S Eshwarappa in Bengaluru and in Shimoga in connection with a FIR filed against him in a disproportionate assets case.
Former judge of the Rajasthan high court Justice Sajjan Singh Kothari was on Monday sworn in as Lokayukta.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday announced a slew of stricter laws to fight corruption and amendments in the existing Lokayukta Act. Gogoi said, "The new anti-corruption legislations and the amendments to State Lokayukta Act will be tabled in the state assembly in the next budget session." "We were committed to tackling corruption even before Anna Hazare started his campaign. With that in mind, we will make amendments in the present Lokayukta Act," he said.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav received a jolt on Tuesday when Governor Ram Naik finally rejected his recommendation for the appointment of the state's Lokayukta.
Addressing a press conference after an hour-long meeting with anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, the chief minister said the Lokpal Bill was likely to be passed in the current session of Parliament.
According to Lokayukta sources, Prashanth, the chief accounts officer of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was caught red-handed on Thursday evening while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor at the Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KSDL) office.
With the lengthy battle over his appointment finally settled by the apex court, the ball is now in Justice Mehta's court. He has been non-committal over his appointment as the state legal ombudsman. All eyes are now on his return from abroad on August 5. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has invited Team Anna members to discuss about enacting a strong Lokayukta law in the state on the lines of Uttarakhand.
Congress on Wednesday used the Gujarat high court order on Lokayukta to attack Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying the verdict was another judicial confirmation of his "hypocrisy" and the "double standards" of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Under attack from the opposition over his luxurious watch, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah on Thursday said he would declare it as a state asset and hand it over to the government.
Activist Aruna Roy on Thursday night questioned political parties for raising objections to the provision of setting up of Lokayuktas in the Lokpal Bill, saying they did not oppose such a move earlier.
The Gujarat government on Thursday approached the Supreme Court challenging the state high court order upholding the appointment of Justice R A Mehta as the Lokayukta by the governor.
The Gujarat High Court, faced with an unprecedented situation with the state government challenging appointment of Lokayukta made by the Governor, on Monday asked the state to remove name of the Governor as respondent in the case.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Thursday said they would campaign during the Gujarat assembly polls slated later this year if an independent Lokayukta was not appointed in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state.
Justice (retd) Chandrashekaraiah's appointment as Karnataka Upa (deputy) Lokayukta was on Friday set aside by the Supreme Court which held that the chief minister had committed an 'error' by not consulting the chief justice of the state high court in the selection process.
Former Kerala high court chief justice S R Bannurmath has decided to quit the post of Lokayukta in Karnataka. Karnataka Chief Minister Sadanand Gowda said that the judge had sent a letter to him, requesting the state government not to pursue the matter with Governor H R Bharadwaj. Justice Bannurmath backed out after Bharadwaj rejected the government's recommendation to appoint him as Lokayukta, citing a land row among other reasons.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership of patronising illegal mining in Karnataka, the Congress on Thursday demanded the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. With the state Lokayukta report indicting the state government over the issue, Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said, "Yeddyurappa must immediately resign from his post". "All these things are already in the public domain but now the Lokayukta has indicted the chief minister," he said.
The Lokpal bill is expected to be brought in the Rajya Sabha on Monday with some key amendments including removal of the provisions for setting up of Lokayuktas in states.
A last ditch attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to refrain Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde from resigning has failed. State BJP unit chief K S Eshwarappa, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya and Law Minister Suresh Kumar met Justice Hegde and asked him to reconsider his decision, but the Lokayukta averred that he will not change his mind.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde has decided to withdraw his resignation."If Governor H R Bhardwaj gives me an appointment, I will meet him on Sunday to withdraw my resignation," Hegde told reporters on Saturday.The top anti-corruption official had resigned to protest the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government's inaction about several of his reports, specially the one about the illegal mining lobby operating in Karnataka.
As the standoff between Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj and the state government continues over the appointment of a new Lokayukta, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would have no choice but to prepare a new list of candidates if the Governor rejected their original recommendation.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday sacked Small-Scale Industry Minister Chadradeo Ram Yadav, who was indicted by the state Lokayukta. "In consultations with the CM, Governor B L Joshi has relieved the minister from his post with immediate effect," a notification issued by the state government said. In his report submitted to the government on December 28 last year, the Lokayukta had indicted the minister for drawing salary from two places.
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