When asked about the need to appoint a new Lokayukta, Parsekar said that it is his topmost priority. “We are working on it. I will give priority to the issue,” he said.
“Goa has a high literacy rate that is why the law is being used well and should be used well. Some sections allege that the law is being used to trouble or extort. But it happens only in one or two percent of the cases,” Parsekar said, urging the officials not to refuse divulging of information under RTI.
The chief minister was speaking to reporters after the inauguration of the new premises of the State Information Commission at Patto, Panjim.
Goa’s first Lokayukta Justice (retd) Sudarshan Reddy had resigned in October 2013, within seven months of taking over. His resignation left investigations into 17 cases, including the illegal mining scam and the recruitments in government department in limbo.
Government is also considering extending the term of the State’s Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Leena Mahendale, whose tenure ends on January 31.
