The silence on Lokayukta
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 01 , 2014 -

In an encouraging sign towards joining the current big league of 19 States/Union Territories of the country, which already have Lokayukta/ Lokpal or Lokaayok Act in place to fight against the evil of widespread corruption in the society, the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly has passed the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, 2014 during its ongoing 7th session on February 27, thus, paving the way for the materialization of the much talked about and awaited anti-corruption ombudsman body in the State as well.

So far, Andhra Pradesh, Assam Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are the only States/Union Territories in the country where the watchdog to combat the malice of corruption has been put in place.

Apart from Assam, the rest of the North-eastern States namely Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim are also still struggling to have Lokayukta.

So, looking from this angle, it should be a moment of great pride for all the people of Manipur to know that the State Government is serious about the issue of corruption and accordingly the State Assembly, where the people send their elected representatives to take important decisions on their behalf, has passed the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, 2014.

However, instead of bringing any joy and jubilation over the prospect of the desired anti-corruption watchdog becoming a reality in the State soon, the manner in which the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, 2014 was passed unanimously by all the 60 elected representatives without feeling the need for any discussion has left a bad taste in the mouth of the people.

Does this mean that the draft proposal of the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, which was introduced in the House, was simply too good for any room for disagreement in the House and that Manipur would be corruption free after the enactment of the Lokayukta Bill into an Act?

If that is so, perhaps, legislators in other States/Union Territories who have to spend days in discussion when similar anti-corruption ombudsman Bills were introduced in their respective Assemblies in their attempt to find out ways and means of giving more teeth to grind corruption so that the public confidence in the transparency of the administrative machinery is instilled, could very well adopt the ‘peerless’ Lokayukta draft Bill of Manipur.

If even one could not expect anything on the issue from the elected representatives in the Ruling Bench, the silence of those sitting in the Opposition Bench at the time of passing the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, 2014 has put a question mark even on their possible awareness about the experiences in most of the 19 Indian States/Union Territories where the offices of Lokayukta have been instituted only to be left in a moribund State with no prosecution powers, basic infrastructures and staff.

Or, was it simply a resignation that corruption is here to stay for good and the unanimous agreement of both the Ruling and Opposition at least on this count?

The silence of the Opposition on the Lokayuta Bill is pregnant with meanings.