TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has asked for two-to-three months to appoint a Lokayukta, failing which he said government would have to amend The Goa Lokayukta Act since it is difficult to get retired Supreme Court judges to fill the post.
He told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that some have declined to accept the post fearing criticism from Goan public.
“A (retired) SC judge has to be there… If there are no judges, how can we appoint a Lokayukta. If not SC then the Chief Justice of High Court and we don’t have it (such people either),” he said. “I feel we might have to amend the Goa Lokayukta Act to include in other judges.”
Parrikar said that government has already approached three-to-four judges of which one has politely refused saying he has decided not to take any assignment after retirement. “I salute him…” he said adding the upright judge delivered good judgments because of which the government had considered his name for the post.
Another retired justice expressed apprehension about possible criticism he would face in Goa. “See, how the people get scared of Goans…Until he remains a judge, he has full protection…after he is appointed a Lokayukta, there is no protection,” the chief minister said.
In October 2013, Goa Lokayukta Justice (retd) B Sudarshan Reddy quit the post citing personal reasons. He had assumed the charge in March 2013.
“The reason behind his quitting the job was he could not take the criticism. He had to face the protest, demonstration and even a court case. His family was very unhappy with it,” Parrikar told the House.
Rane laments absence of Lokayukta
Leader of the Opposition Pratapsing Rane seemed in a good mood on the concluding day of the Goa Assembly session on Thursday, when he started his speech in Hindi, highlighting the absence of Lokayukta in Goa. Subsequently his Hindi failed him and he had to revert to English. “Mai Hindi mein baat karunga (I will speak in Hindi),” he said before speaking on the Goa Appropriation Bill, 2014, relating to supplementary demands for grants for 2014-15. e said that Goa government appointed the Lokayukta but the post fell vacant, after which there has been no replacement. “Magar wo chale gaye…Kyun gaye? I do not know (but he left. Why did he go? I do not know),” Rane said, as he struggled to speak in Hindi. “Adhayee saal ho gaye… (it’s been two-and-a-half years) lekin Lokayukta sahib nahi aye (but no Lokayukta has come)…”He finally discontinued speaking in Hindi to go back to English saying, “This is Konkani-Hindi of Goa.” The senior-most Congress leader reminded the BJP government of its 2012 election promise that Goa will get Lokayukta as soon as possible.
