CM assures to table Lokayukta Bill during winter session of NLA

The chief minister further said that the bill would be tabled in the house only after the Standing Committee on Lokayukta submits its report. “As soon as the standing committee submits the report it will be tabled in NLA. It is also the wish of the state government to make Nagaland a corruption free state,” he stated.

In this regard, parliamentary secretary and chairman of the Standing Committee on Lokayukta, Er. Levi Rengma has called for a consultative meeting with the sub-committee and ACAUT on November 20 at 1 p.m. in the committee room of NLA secretariat. All members of the committee, sub-committee and ACAUT representatives have been asked to attend the meeting. 

Zeliang made this assurance during the meeting held with Public Coordination Committee (PCC) at his residence Friday afternoon. Another meeting was held with the PCC and the Standing Committee members later in the evening.

Earlier during the day, the PCC submitted a 10 point charter of demands, reminding the government of the points which the committee had been agitating for the past three days.

PCC convener, Tia Longchar, ACAUT chairman, Joel Naga and advisor ACAUT, Kezhokhoto Savi after briefing the chief minister and chairman of the Standing Committee on Lokayukta, Er. Levi Rengma, also demanded that a special session be summoned to pass the bill. In response, chief minister stated that the government had never opposed passing the Lokayukta bill in the assembly and assured that the government would do anything that was good and beneficial for the people of the state.

On the appointment of Lokayukta chairman, Zeliang was apprehensive that state may not be able get a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge to head the institution, saying “it may not be good to get outsiders for Nagas.”

Zeliang also suggested the committee members to study and compare the Bill with that of other states to make the law useful. “Else simply passing the Bill will not serve the purpose,” he said.

Er. Levi Rengma explained that owing to the frequent crises in the government, the members were unable sit together to discuss on the matter. Er. Levi said there were 24 states in the country which had passed Lokayukta Bill and the committee has compared and taken points from these states. He said despite Karnataka being the first state to pass the Lokayukta Bill, it was facing difficulties. Er. Levi also echoed CM’s view with regard to appointment of Lokayukta chairman. Er. Levi assured the PCC members that the committee would be submitting its final report after the November 20 meeting.

To this, Kezhokhoto Savi said, initially the state may struggle when Lokayukta is instituted. However, he said the state government should not be apprehensive about appointment of the chairman but first pass the Bill at the earliest. On the other hand, ACAUT member said that the bill should not be on the lines of the Vigilance Commission, which was “a toothless tiger”.