Bengaluru: After wresting the BBMP mayoral posts from BJP leaders, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his core team are trying to jettison the BJP’s plans to embarrass the government on the corruption charges against Lokayukta Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao.
The Congress government is planning to introduce a bill on the lines of the Lokpal Act and is contemplating convening a three or a five-day legislature session in the first week of October when the government will table two crucial bills – the first aimed at overhauling the entire Panchayat Raj institution and the second to bring a new Lokpal bill to enable the state government get rid of the present Lokayukta institution itself.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in the CM’s camp, said, “The UPA - 2’s Lokpal Act has not come in force in any of the BJP ruled states yet and even Congress ruled states seem to have forgotten about this. Therefore, Mr Siddaramaiah has been contemplating this for a long time. The main objective is to avoid the rigorous process of impeachment of Justice Rao. The moment the Lokpal bill becomes an Act, the existing Lokyukta institution will cease to exist, so Justice Rao can be eased of his position.”
The source added that if the present Lokayukta Act is amended, then Justice Rao might even challenge the very amendment passed by the legislature.
“Therefore, Mr Siddaramaiah has been thinking over this matter for quite some time and most of the legal experts with whom he had interacted seem to have suggested that it would be ideal to bring Lok Pal Act in place of the existing Lokayukta Act. But he will take a final call on this after detailed deliberations with his cabinet colleagues in a week’s time as this Act has the potential to take the steam out of the BJP’s Lokayukta Hatao campaign,” the source contended.
Apart from this, the state government is also planning to come out with a bill that will overhaul the entire Panchayat raj institution. “Mr Siddaramaiah has begun to focus on the impending polls to the Zilla Panchayats and Taluk panchayats that are due in a couple of months. The existing Act will be overhauled on the basis of recommendations given by a committee headed by former Speaker, K. R. Ramesh Kumar,” the source added.
