Oppn MLAs, activists protest appointment
TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy was sworn-in as Goa’s first Lokayukta at Raj Bhavan amid protests by opposition MLAs and activists who alleged that it was not in accordance with the law.
Justice Reddy was administered the oath of secrecy by Governor BV Wanchoo while Chief Secretary B Vijayan read out the warrant of appointment in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, ministers and some BJP MLAs.
The opposition MLAs remained absent at the swearing-in ceremony.
The office of the Lokayukta, which is scheduled to begin its work within two weeks or so will be temporarily housed in the old Education Department complex in Panjim and later be shifted to its permanent quarters at old GMC complex, Ribander.
Government has already approved 36 staff for Lokayukta, which would be functional within the next two weeks.
Outside the Raj Bhavan activists and opposition MLAs held a black flag demonstration.
Civil society groups too have been protesting against amendments in the Lokayukta Act and the appointment itself has been hit by allegations citing lack of transparency in the appointment. However, Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane had given his consent for appointment of Reddy as per requirement and no objection was filed at that time.
Reddy, who retired from the apex court on July 7, 2011, was appointed as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 2, 1995; he was later chief justice of the Guwahati High Court from December 5, 2005 until his elevation to the Supreme Court on January 12, 2007.
Present for the function were Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, Legislative Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar, Deputy Speaker Anant Shet, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, Industries Minister Mahadev Naik, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Corporation Minister Deepak Dhavalikar, Ponda MLA Lavu Mamletdar, Sanqulim MLA Pramod Sawant and Aldona MLA Glen Ticklo.
Meanwhile, activists from the civil society groups and opposition MLAs who held protests at Dona Paula, near Raj Bhavan, greeted Reddy and Chief Minister with black flags. NCP members along with Congress Legislative Party spokesman Alexio Lourenco Reginald also participated in the protest.
The protestors claimed that they will approach High Court challenging the appointment of Reddy, alleging that it was not in accordance with the law.
Reddy assures to root out corruption
PANJIM: Former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, speaking to the media, after his swearing-in said that he would take a couple of weeks to start functioning formally while promising to do his best to root out corruption.
“I am visiting Goa after 19 years. I don’t know a single individual here. I met the Governor and the Chief Minister for the first time,” Reddy said in his first ever media interaction.
“I shall, to the best of my ability, serve Goa through judicial process of which I am part for last 42 years,” he said.
Referring to the media while refusing to answer any questions, he said, “I am going to depend on you people for information in order to arrest, curb and erase menace of corruption in the state.”
