No PM on Lokpal, No CM on Goa Lokayukta Bill

If the Law Commission Chairman Ramakant Khalap statement in the local media is to be considered, “The major question is whether the PM should come under the purview of Lokpal Bill and if that is passed then the State Lokayukta Bill can include the CM”; then it seems that the now in limbo Goa State Lokayukta Bill will not include the Chief Minister of Goa as the Centre has not brought the Prime Minister under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.

The process for setting up Lokayukta for Goa started in 2004 during the BJP regime when the now Leader of Opposition was the Chief Minister. The Lokayukta Bill was then referred to the select committee due to the difference of opinions of the MLAs. Thereafter, Parrikar led-government collapsed in 2006 but when Pratapsingh Rane was the Chief Minister the government passed the Goa Lokayukta Bill in March 2007 after the select committee submitted the report.

Thereafter, nothing much happened until the Bill was withdrawn by the Government earlier this year.

The current Congress-led government headed by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said that after passing the Bill it was sent for ratification of the Central Government which has raised some queries.

Sources in the government in the knowledge of the State Lokayukta Bill have shocking revealed that no government officer has even started working on the re-drafting of the Bill.

However, the important question being raised over the non-inclusion of the PM and the insinuation of the Chairman of the Law Commission to the probability of the non-inclusion of the Chief Minister in the soon to be drafted State Lokayukta Bill, is that unlike in Karnataka where the Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had to step down on account of the Lokayukta report. It might not been the same in Goa where the current Chief Minister has been time and again being questioned by the Opposition on his alliances with the illegal mining lobby in Goa and his personal interest in the mining business.