Being 'anti-corruption' in Karnataka is a hard task

The Karnataka Government, on January 9, finalised the name of Justice Vishwanatha Shetty for the post of Lokayukta. His name will be recommended to Governor Vajubhai Vala for approval.

Justice Shetty was selected by a committee comprising the Chief Minister, Assembly Speaker, Chairman of Legislative Council and opposition leaders. Justice Shetty, a native of Udupi district, had served as a judge in the Karnataka High Court for 10 years before retiring in 2006. Before that, he had served as chairman of the Bar Council of India.

The institution of Lokayukta had enjoyed a good reputation in the State. In 2011, the Lokayukta had arrested the then Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, on corruption and illegal denotification charges.

However, after corruption charges were labelled against the last Lokayukta, Justice Bhaskar Rao, it had lost its reputation. The post had been vacant for a year after Rao’s resignation. Shetty’s biggest challenge will be to restore the Lokayukta’s reputation.

Other challenges include:

• According to the Karnataka Lokayukta Act of 1984, the Lokayukta is empowered with a separate police wing. But an amendment in 2015 took away this power from the Lokayukta, in addition to the power to search, raid, break open lockers, seize property or summon anyone who has been accused of illegalities. Now the Lokayukta has to work with these limitations.

• Many cases of the Lokayukta have been transferred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Now, the new Lokayukta can probe into these cases under Section 10 of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.

• Many corruption and land encroachment charges against top IAS officers including Arvind Jadhav, former chief secretary, are pending with the Lokayukta. The new Lokayukta has to take up all these cases and bring them to a logical conclusion.

• Currently, more than 400 corruption cases are pending with the Lokayukta, which include cases against former CMs, ministers and MLAs. Around 15 cases against CM Siddaramaiah are pending with the Lokayukta. Cases against the present CM include the Arkavati denotification, Hublot watch case and illegal issuance of contract for a laboratory for his son at Victoria Hospital.

• lokayukta
• vishwanatha shetty
• vajubhai vala
• ACB
• siddaramaiah
• corruption