Lokpal gets 1,427 plaints in 2019-20; 613 against states

Press Trust of India

A total of 1,427 complaints were received by anticorruption ombudsman Lokpal during 2019-20, of which 613 were related to state government officials and four against Union ministers and Members of Parliament, according to official data. It said 245 complaints were against central government officials, 200 against those in public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, judicial institutions and autonomous bodies at central level and 135 were against private persons and organisations. There were six complaints against state ministers and members of legislative assemblies and four against Union ministers, Lokpal’s data stated.

Of the total complaints, 220 were requests/comments/suggestions, it said. A total of 613 complaints were related to state government officials, public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, judicial institutions and autonomous bodies at state level, official data showed.

Of the total complaints,1,347 were disposed of. There were 1,152 complaints beyond the Lokpal’s jurisdiction, it said.

A total of 78 complainants were advised to file complaints on prescribed form, 45 were sent for status/inquiry report and directions to concerned authority were issued for appropriate action in 32 complaints, data showed. Giving details of the pendency, Lokpal data said 29 cases were pending with the Central Vigilance Commission 25 for status report and four for inquiry, four with the Department of Higher Education - three for status report and one for inquiry and two with the Central Bureau of Investigation for status report. One complaint was pending with the Railway Board for inquiry, it said.

Status report was pending in two cases related to the Culture Ministry, one case each of Ministry of Water Resources, Directorate General of Income Tax, Department of School Education and Literacy, Department of Post and Ministry of Shipping, official data showed.