Lok Ayukt reports on corrupt ministers ignored

Lucknow, May 29 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Lok Ayukta organisation has expressed concern over the inability of the successive state governments to take prompt action against corrupt bureaucrats and ministers.

Well over a hundred reports of the organisation on public representatives and public servants are gathering dust with the state government despite proven cases of corruption and clear recommendations against the erring officials and ministers.

Lok Ayukta, set up in pursuance to the constitutional provisions, has failed to stem corruption in public life simply because of the inertia at the state government level, highly placed sources told UNI here today.

''No government has been forthcoming in taking prompt action against the guilty and all our reports have been reduced to piece of papers for them,'' sources pointed out.

After receiving complaints from the departments or from the general public, the Lok Ayukta conducts inquiry on its own and submits report to the state government receommending suitable action.

''Barring a few, the action was not taken on most of the reports which are submitted to the Chief Minister or Chief Secretary or the departmental heads depending upon the complaint and against whom the complaint has been made,'' Ayukta sources said.

Lok Ayukta of the state had submitted four such reports in 2000, 12 in 2001, 20 in 2002, 27 in 2003, 21 in 2004 , 30 in 2005 and 20 so far during this year.

''Sadly, most of these reports are lying unattended while the action have been taken against only less influential and lower cadre officers,'' sources alleged.

Lok Ayukta has submitted its report against the then Ministers Raja Ram Pandey and Markandey Chand in 2002, Shiva Kant Ojha and Ram Asrey Paswan in 2003, against IAS officer Rajan Shukla in 2001, former Chairman of Greater Noida and former UP Chief Secretary R S Mathur in 2000 and other bureaucrats Dinesh Chandra Saxena and Vijay Prakash in 2002 and Brajendra Singh in 2003.

Some action was taken on these reports but substantial action was missing on these and other matters of similar nature, sources added.

Asking for some more teeth as far as powers of the organisation is concerned, sources said the Lok Ayukta organisation had constantly been ignored by the state governments and it lacked basic infrastructure to discharge its functions properly.

UNI SB NAB AS VC1459