The Kerala government is set to amend the State Lokayukta Act through an ordinance to prevent any verdict of the anti-corruption agency being binding on the state. Closer home in Goa, the governor has dismissed on 'technical grounds' five cases referred to him by the Lokayukta ; the issues pertaining to corruption, failure to deliver services and misuse of public funds were pending for the past three years. The lacunae cited was that the Lokayukta statute was silent on how the governor should proceed under the act against the accused public functionaries; the state government had failed to take action on any of the cases recommended for fear that the proceedings would have an adverse impact on its poll prospects.
Similar is the situation with the RTI act where the Centre ruthlessly stonewalls any public query which it perceives as being detrimental to its image (Pegasus, Chinese incursion, migrant deaths, farmer's deaths) most often raising the spectre of national security. A more prudent option would be to shut down the offices which are but toothless tigers now and utilise the funds for the benefit of the citizenry.
