PIL seeks appointment of Lokayukta in state

JAIPUR: A PIL has been filed in Rajasthan high court seeking judicial intervention for appointment of Lokayukta in the state. The post is lying vacant since May 1 this year. The petition also seeks guidelines to be issued for future so that the post may not remain vacant for a long time again.
The PIL, filed by Krishan Murari Lal Asthana, through his counsel Abhinav Sharma, claimed that the post has attained significance especially due to the demand of a Jan Lokpal at the national level.According to the petitioner, Rajasthan is the second state to create a Lokayukta in 1973 after Maharashtra, where the Lokayukta Act came into force in 1971 for the first time in the country.
“However, the office of Lokayukta in state has became defunct in the 42 years of its existence with the post lying vacant for most of the time in the past four decades,” alleged the petitioner.
The Lokayukta is appointed by the governor in consultation with the Chief Justice and Leader of Opposition. Earlier, Asthana along with one Kashi Purohit had challenged the constitution of a three-member commission of inquiry headed by Justice N N Mathur to probe alleged corruption charges against the Vasundhara Raje government.
“The commission was winded up by the high court which directed that all the complaints shall be investigated by the Lokayukta. The order of high court was upheld by SC but the government did not fill up the post,” said the petitioner.