Khanduri's Lokayukta to be repealed in Uttarakhand: Congress

DEHRADUN: The ruling Congress in Uttarakhand today said the Lokayukta Act enacted during the previous BJP regime in the state would be repealed and an anti-graft ombudsman on the lines of the Centre's Lokpal would be created.

"A Lokayukta modelled on the Centre's Lokpal is all set to become a reality in the state very soon," Pradesh Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana told PTI.

The party had authorised Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to initiate the process at the earliest to enable Uttarakhand earn the distinction of being the first state in the country to establish an anti-corruption watchdog on the lines of the Lokpal bill passed by Parliament, he said.

When reminded that the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill passed by the previous BJP government, headed by B C Khanduri, had become an act after the Presidential assent, the Congress leader said it would be repealed.

"Khanduri's Lokayukta will be repealed and a fresh bill drafted on the lines of the Lokpal will be passed by the state assembly and sent to the President for his assent," Dhasmana said soon after meeting Bahuguna.

The Chief Minister held a meeting with Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma and legal experts earlier in the day and asked them to draft a Lokayukta on the lines of the Lokpal.

"The draft of a new Lokayukta bill is likely to be ready soon and may come up for discussion at the next meeting of the Cabinet slated for December 26," Dhasmana said.

A special session of the state assembly could be convened anytime after the Cabinet's approval for the new bill to pass the legislation, he said.