Supreme Court appoints Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta

Bilkulonline.com, New Delhi, Dec 14: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for not appointing a Lokayukta despite its earlier order, and observed that all those involved in the appointment process had their own agenda. Supreme Court said that constitutional authorities have failed to implement our order therefore we are exercising our inherent power under article 142 of constitution.

With no consensus emerging as the two-day deadline given by the court expired on Wednesday, the state government roped in senior advocate Kapil Sibal to defend its steps but the bench remained “unimpressed”.

Sibal gave five names to the court.

Having recorded this, the court in exercise of its extraordinary powers appointed retired judge of Allahabad high court Justice Singh, who is at present head of the state consumer commission, as the state’s Lokayukta. Why our order has not been complied with.

The law provides that a high-powered committee of the chief minister, the leader of opposition and the chief justice of the concerned high court together appoints the chief of the state ombudsman.

“We don’t mince words”.

Before this, the Supreme Court had on July 23 asked the government to suggest a name for new Lokayukta by August 23 after which the government finalised the name of former justice Raveendra Singh Yadav and sent it to the Raj Bhawan for the first time on August 5.

The UP Assembly had passed the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta and Up-Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2015, to amend Lokayukta Act dropping Allahabad High Court Chief Justice from the selection committee. It ordered the state government to issue an order of his appointment and file an affidavit of compliance in the court by December 24. Lawyer Shiv Kumar Tripathi said that this was a historic decision in itself and expressed his satisfaction with the decision.

The term of sitting Lokayukta Justice NK Mehrotra ended in March 2014.