Specify Date For Appointment Of Lokpal, SC Tells Odisha Govt

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday outrightly rejected the application of the Odisha government to allow it three months’ time for the appointment of the Lokpal.

The apex court, while rejecting the appeal forthwith, directed the chief secretary of the state to specify the date for the appointment of the Lokpal.

Taking strong exception to the inordinate delay in the appointment of Lokayukta, the SC on April 19 had rejected the six-month time requested by the state government for the appointment of the Lokayukta and directed it to submit a status report by July 10.

The directive had come after Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi submitted a status report on the initiative taken by the state government in this regard.

Taking note of the non-implementation of its order, the apex court on July 10 had directed the state government to complete the process for appointment of the Lokayukta by October 10.

Four days before the expiry of the Supreme Court deadline, the Odisha government on October 7 had picked the fifth member of the Lokayukta Appointment Committee.

The selection of the fifth member of the committee was decided at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the presence of Speaker of the Odisha Assembly Pradip Amat, Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra and Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court KS Jhaveri.

Informing the media later, the Leader of the Opposition had said that the name of the fifth member of the Committee, who is a legal expert, will be sent to the Governor. Following his approval, the Selection Committee will select five members of the Search Committee which will pick the Lokayukta and the other members of the Lokayukta Mandal and recommend their names to the Selection Committee for its consideration.

It may be recalled that the Lokayukta Bill was passed in the Odisha Assembly on February 14, 2014.