TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday while expressing his government’s difficulty in choosing a suitable candidate for the post of Goa Lokayukta, said that a committee headed by the Advocate General would be submitting two to three names of the candidates who are eligible for the post, by week end.
Speaking to media persons, Parrikar said that government and its appointed committee have failed to get good quantum of retired judges, who can hold the post.
“Every committee today is headed by a retired judge and hence there is a shortage. We are not able to find a suitable candidate yet,” he said adding ‘apart from this there are many other hurdles like the age limit, non-Goan, which has been restraining government from appointing a Lokayukta’.
Government in September 2012 had constituted a committee headed by the Advocate General, with the Chief Secretary and the Law Secretary as its members, to identify a suitable candidate for the important post. The committee was directed to submit its report within two weeks along with three to four names for the post.
Parrikar said that Advocate General has assured to submit two to three names of suitable candidate by this week end.
Government has already cleared 36 posts for the office of the Goa Lokayukta and decided to use part of the one-time Ribandar hospital premises, as office space for Goa Lokayukta.
Meanwhile, when asked about the allegations made by Adv Radharao Gracias against Aldona MLA Glenn Ticklo over the issue of citizenship, Parrikar refused to comment stating ‘if a person birth is registered in Portugal, that does not mean he is a Portuguese national’. Parrikar said that Glenn will be ready to face the disqualification petition, as he owns Indian citizenship and Indian passport.
