The swearing-in of Justice Sandeep Shinde as Goa’s new Lokayukta marks a crucial milestone in the state’s ongoing battle against corruption and administrative malaise. Now that the Lokayukta is here, one would still wonder why it took the government so long. Why was there no urgency when the State was rocked by corruption cases and maladministration? Let’s not forget that the post remained vacant since December 2024.
The Lokayukta has an important role in current day democracy because it acts as an independent watchdog having the jurisdiction to probe corruption charges against public officials, including ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats and even local body officials. It acts like a referee checking misuse of power, facilitating good governance, and recommending disciplinary action on case to case basis.
Given the background, the delay is baffling. Goa has over 20 pending cases of corruption stacked up. Allegations of corruption and scams have been flying thick and fast. The jobs-for-cash scam in Goa has made national headlines with several top bureaucrats coming under the scanner. Such lengthy delays in appointments not only undermine accountability but also fuel public cynicism that corruption is being tolerated.
Can Justice Shinde make a difference? Justice Shinde is a retired judge of the Bombay High Court’s Goa Bench and holds hope of tackling entrenched malpractices because of the boldness he has shown in the past. It was he who directed the erstwhile mining leaseholders to vacate their leases within a month in October 2022. This ruling, which was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, paved the way for the e-auction process of mineral blocks. Earlier, Justice Shinde had served as Chief Public Prosecutor for Mumbai in 2015, where he showed his finesse in criminal law and prosecution.
In Goa, he faces monumental challenges given the spectrum of cases. From corruption in land deals, police recruitment, job scams, allegations of graft in government offices, and some of the big political names embroiled in graft. To make matters worse, political interference has been the biggest impediment in the functioning of such an ombudsman across India. It is to be seen whether Justice Shinde gets the liberty to do justice to the job at hand. Also, it would be interesting to see whether the government would act upon the decisions of Justice Shinde. We say this because reports of past Lokayukatas like Prafulla Kumar Mishra had been ignored and not acted upon.
While Justice Shinde brings hope, his swearing-in threw a lingering question — why was the local media kept away from the ceremony, after being informed via email? What’s the matter with such secrecy? Keeping the media out fosters suspicion that the government may want to conceal the real state of affairs or avoid uncomfortable questions about the long vacuum. We are talking transparency.
Justice Shinde walks in when the public confidence in the system has hit rock bottom. It is to be seen whether he will enjoy full independence and whether the government of the day will respect his authority, upholding its propagated motto of zero tolerance towards corruption. Without the backing of the government, even the most upright Lokayukta risks being ineffective. We hope this appointment does not end up being ceremonial, but becomes a catalyst for systemic reform.
