Team Herald
PANJIM: Retired Bombay High Court Justice U V Bakre has declined the offer to be the next Lokayukta of Goa and has withdrawn his earlier consent given to the Goa government.
After taking consent from Justice Bakre, on March 5, Chief Minister Dr Pramnod Sawant wrote to Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat seeking his consent to the appointment of Lokayukta at the earliest.
Posting the Chief Minister’s letter on his twitter handle, Kamat said, “After diluting powers of Goa Lokayukta & making it toothless, @GovtofGoa now wants me to give consent for appointment of Lokayukta. I once again demand @goacm to make the Institution of Lokayukta strong & empower it with authority & powers to act against illegalities & corrupt.”
On Monday, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had adjourned to April 26 the petition filed by Adv Aires Rodrigues over the failure of the government to fill the vacancy of the Goa Lokayukta.
During the hearing, Advocate General Devidas Pangam had informed the Court that after seeking the consent of the Leader of the Opposition, the proposed name of a retired High Court Judge would be sent for the approval of the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.
Commending Justice Bakre for taking the right decision, Rodrigues pointed out that by those controversial amendments to the Goa Lokayukta Act in January this year, the Goa government in a retrograde step had rendered the watchdog totally redundant and powerless. In the given circumstances no worthy person would want to be the Goa Lokayukta and occupy what is now just a farcical position by way of a powerless chair, he said.
