PANJIM: The two-and-a-half year wait for a new Lokayukta finally ended on Thursday when Justice (retired) Prafulla Kumar Misra was sworn in as the State’s second Lokayukta. The new permanent Lokayukta office, in the Old GMC building at Ribandar will begin functioning within a month.
Hailing from Orissa, the retired Justice was administered the oath of office by Governor Mridula Sinha. Misra will assume charge immediately, as the post has been vacant since Oct 2013.
Speaking to media persons after the swearing-in ceremony, Misra said a Lokayukta is a recommending body while the final action is initiated by the competent authority (government). “When a person is born, a corruption also takes birth with him. To weed out corruption one needs to be honest and sincere,” he said.
Stating that he is well-versed with the Orissa Lokayukta Act, Misra said that he will have to first study the Goa Act before commenting on it. “I have not gone through the Goa Lokayukta Act so far. I will have to study it,” he said.
“The chief minister has informed me that there are 16 cases pending before the ombudsman body. I will have to study each and every case before going ahead with it,” Lokayukta said.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, PWD Minister Ramakrishan Dhavalikar, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Co-operation Minister Pandurang Dhavalikar and Deputy Speaker Vishnu Wagh were present for the ceremony.
Addressing the media, Parsekar said the government has awarded PWD the task to renovate the Old GMC building, which will be the permanent office of the Lokayukta. “Currently it is operational from the government guest house at Altinho. Since we have got a new Lokayukta we want him to function from the new office. The premises will be ready within a month,” he said.
The government has already appointed 36 office bearers and Secretary – the first administrative head of the office – Mathew Samuel.
“I have told the Lokayukta to feel free if he has any issues with the functioning. He can rightly put up his demand before the government,” the Chief minister said.
In October 2013, the first Goa Lokayukta Justice (retd) B Sudarshan Reddy had quit the post citing personal reasons. He had assumed charge in March 2013. His resignation had left investigations of 21 cases, including the illegal mining and government recruitment scams, pending.
