PANAJI
With around 20 anti-corruption cases pending, the Goa Lokayukta has remained non-functional for six months now since the end of Justice (retd) Ambadas Joshi's tenure in December 2024.
While the Directorate of vigilance had in February, written to the Chief Secretary for shortlisting names of retired high court judges to select new Lokayukta for the State, nothing has moved so far.
“The Vigilance Department has not got any communication from the government on the appointment of new Lokayukta. The government has to shortlist the candidates, based on which concurrence of the High Court is sought,” sources said.
A three-member committee, comprising the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, will finalize the appointment once a suitable candidate is identified.
“There is no development on it so far. Will be raising the matter with the Chief Minister shortly,” Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao told The Goan.
Sources confirmed that the Lokayukta office has been accepting corruption-related complaints from concerned citizens; however, it cannot proceed with them.
This is not the first time that there has been prolonged delay over appointment of the chief of the ombudsmen body.
Justice Joshi was appointed in April 2021. He had succeeded Justice (retd) P K Misra, whose term ended in September 2020. At that time, a total of 75 cases were pending.
Prior to Joshi’s appointment, the State government had shortlisted Justice (retd) U V Bakre, but he withdrew his consent in March 2021, citing personal reasons.
Most of the pending cases are related to corruption in illegal constructions, permissions, etc.
Few days before his term could end, Misra had written to the Government stating that the Lokayukta Act in Goa was toothless and the anti-corruption authority in the state lacked the powers of those in Karnataka and Kerala.
Goa’s first Lokayukta, Justice (retd) Sudershan Reddy had resigned within seven months of his appointment in 2013 citing personal reasons. It took the government, almost three years to appoint Misra in April, 2016.
The State government in 2021 amended the Lokayukta Act to allow the appointment of retired high court judges, after failing to appoint a Supreme Court judge or a retired high court chief justice to the post.
