With zero prosecution, Lokpal’s performance remains so-so: Parl Panel

NEW DELHI: Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has not prosecuted a single person accused of graft to date and its performance seems to be far from satisfactory, a Parliamentary panel has said and asked it to act as an enabler rather than an inhibitor.

In a report tabled in Parliament recently, it said several complaints are being disposed of by the Lokpal on the ground that they are not in the prescribed format and asked it not to reject genuine complaints.

The panel raised a query about the non-filling up of the post of the chairperson of Lokpal, which has been vacant since May last year, and sought the government’s response on the action being taken to fill up the vacancies.

“The Committee infers from the data provided by the Lokpal that a large number of complaints are being disposed of on the ground that they are not in the prescribed format. Lokpal has submitted to the Committee that it has not prosecuted even a single person accused of graft till date,” it said.

The panel said it is of the considered opinion that the Lokpal was set up to strengthen the legal and institutional mechanism to deal with corruption in public life.

“However, the performance of the Lokpal seems to be far from satisfactory,” said the report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.

The Committee is of the view that the Lokpal was established in an effort to promote clean and responsive governance and therefore, it should act as an enabler rather than an inhibitor, it said. The Committee recommended the Lokpal not to reject genuine complaints merely on technical grounds that a complaint was not in the prescribed format.

The Parliamentary Committee is of the view that the Lokpal was established in an effort to promote clean and responsive governance