The outgoing Lokayukta, Justice (Retd) Mishra minced no words in an interview with a local daily. He clearly stated that the Goa Lokayukta Act had no teeth, unlike the Kerala and Karnataka Acts. The Goa Act gave no prosecution powers to the Lokayukta. The latter’s judgements included strict remarks on the ‘performance’ of Ministers and Govt servants.
Imagine, a small land owner’s rights were thrown away by the collusion of a minister, govt official and a builder: he could and did approach the various govt depts for justice but got none. Only the Lokayukta could come to his rescue, that too partially, as the latter had no prosecution powers.
Now, the govt has further diluted the powers, specifically because of the judgements of the outgoing Lokayukta against the ministers and govt servants. Justice is being denied to the public. Imagine the dilution of powers is being done by the very elected people who are supposed to legislate for the good of the people. They are thus giving themselves the right to subvert the law? Is this not a case for the Lokayukta itself? And what can we do? Only ‘plead’ with the govt as is being done by the various politicians and citizens?
The case of the 10+ 2 ‘defectors’ is yet to come up. This specific case of dilution of powers is due to the current defection resulting in not only the people’s elected govt not getting its right to govern, but also decimating an Opposition so that such acts are committed. This argument must be placed before the courts. The proof of the pudding is there to be seen.
R FERNANDES, Margao
