No lokayukta report tabled in assembly since ’15

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has not tabled any lokayukta report in the Vidhan Sabha since 2015, revealed a Right to Information (RTI) query.

The lokayukta submits a report to the UP governor each year containing findings of the investigation carried out by it on charges of corruption, irregularities by bureaucrats, ministers and people’s representatives on the basis of complaints received from people.

The report carrying recommendations for action against the guilty and corrupt officials, is then forwarded by the UP governor to the state government, which tables it before the assembly before acting on recommendations of the lokayukta.

“I had filed an RTI (query) with the office of UP lokayukta to know about its findings in corruption cases investigated by it. But the public information officer of the lokayukta told me he would not be able to share the information as the annual report sent by the lokayukta to the governor of UP under section 12 of the Lokayukta Act had not been presented in the state assembly since 2015,” said RTI activist Nutan Thakur, who filed the query.

She said the lokayukta office refused to provide a copy of these reports, saying the documents were Cabinet papers and hence prohibited under section 8(1)(i) of RTI Act.

“The PIO, however, said that he would provide the documents the moment these reports are presented before the state assembly,” she said. The RTI activist said the refusal of information after Allahabad high court made it clear in its order that the lokayukta office came under the ambit of RTI was against the provisions of the law and she would move an appeal before the state information commission.

“We have sent reports in 17 cases of corruption this year compared to eight in 2016-17. But so far we have not received any response from the government despite several follow ups and special recommendations in these matters,” said deputy lokayukta Shambhu Singh Yadav.

The report was presented to UP governor Ram Naik on April 4 by lokayukta Sanjay Mishra. The governor had forwarded it to the state government with the request that he be informed of the necessary action taken in these cases.