Lokpal

Not prosecuted anyone to date, Lokpal's performance far from satisfactory

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 th

Karnataka BJP MLA's son caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh

Prashanth Madal, son of BJP MLA from Channagiri, Madal Virupakshappa, works as a chief accountant with the BWSSB, and was caught accepting the bribe in his father's office

Don't proceed with probe ordered by Lokpal against MCD: HC directs CBI

The judge said that as per the law, there has to be preliminary investigation by an agency to ascertain whether a prima facie case is made out to proceed further

CM, Cabinet to come under Lokayukta law: Maharashtra Deputy CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra will have a Lokayukta law on the lines of the Centre's Lokpal law which will also bring chief minister and ministers under its ambit, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference on the eve of the winter session of the state legislature, he said a bill in this regard will be introduced. The recommendations of a panel led by social activist Anna Hazare have been accepted completely. He said the Lokayukta will be a retired chief justice of the High Court or a Supreme Court (judge). "The chief minister will be brought under the ambit of Lokayukta and so will the ministers (of the state Cabinet)," Fadnavis added.

Lokpal gets 1,719 graft complaints, 136 were registered inquiry this year

Anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal has got 1,719 corruption complaints so far this year, of which 136 were registered for conducting inquiry, according to an official data. In reply to an RTI query, the office of Lokpal said that out of the total complaints received during 2022-23 (till August 21, 2022), 134 were in the prescribed format and 1,585 were in non-format. A total of 133 complaints received in the format -- prescribed for filing of graft complaints -- were registered and 83 of them were disposed and 50 were pending (of these 12 were pending due to inquiry or investigation), it said. Of the non-formatted complaints, only three of them were registered, the office of Lokpal said in reply to the RTI application filed by this PTI journalist. A total of 1,635 graft complaints, out of the 1,719 received in 2022-23, were pending, it said. The central government had in March 2020 notified the Lokpal (Complaint) Rules, which prescribe the format to file a complaint. The Lokpal had last

Lokpal to accept corruption complaints filed in prescribed format only

Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has decided to accept corruption complaints for further disposal only if they are filed in a prescribed format. The central government had in March 2020 notified the Lokpal (Complaint) Rules, which prescribe the format to file a complaint. In accordance with these rules, Lokpal had issued a circular in July last year detailing the procedure to be followed for dealing with the complaints received in its office. Subsequently, vide a corrigendum dated February 10 this year, it was decided that complaints that are not in the prescribed format shall be put up before the Lokpal chairperson for necessary orders or action. The provisions contained in the corrigendum now have been revisited by the full bench of Lokpal. "The full bench of Lokpal of India has decided that henceforth (with immediate effect), complaints received (by any mode viz. by hand/ by post/ through email etc.) in the office of the Lokpal of India that are not in the prescribed form will

Anti-corruption body Lokpal gets 5,680 complaints during 2021-22: RTI

Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal received 5,680 complaints during 2021-22, of which over 5,100 were yet to be registered, according to an RTI reply

Lokpal fails to sanction prosecution of anyone in nearly three years

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, states that the Lokpal shall constitute a prosecution wing headed by the director of prosecution for the purpose of prosecution of public servants

Corruption complaints can now be filed with Lokpal using online system

At present, complaints sent by post, e-mail or hand-delivered are entertained by the Lokpal of India

Lokpal receives 30 complaints against senior govt officials from Apr-Jul

Of the total complaints made in this fiscal, 18 were received in July and 12 in April and June.

Centre yet to appoint director of inquiry to probe Lokpal's complaints: CVC

More than two years after the Lokpal came into being, the Centre is yet to appoint a director of inquiry for conducting preliminary inquiry into graft complaints sent by the anti-corruption ombudsman

Futility of protest: Easier to start a revolution than influence its course

Myanmar, Belarus, China's Hong Kong and Russia have all pointed to a futility of protests, and that even sustained street revolutions fail now in country after country, writes T N Ninan

Parliamentary panel asks govt to explore feasibility of amending Lokpal Act

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday asked the government to explore the feasibility of amending relevant laws so as to confer powers on the Lokpal

No annual report from Lokpal laid in Parliament: Govt tells Rajya Sabha

Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal came into being in 2019

Lokpal member Justice Babasaheb Bhosale steps down citing personal reasons

Bhosale has tendered his resignation from the office of member (judicial), Lokpal with effect from the afternoon of January 12, 2020, it said in an order

Lokpal P C Ghose: The name that sends shivers down the spine of politicians

Justice Ghose was on the bench that barred photos of sundry politicians in government advertisements

A Lokpal, finally

Appointing Justice Ghosh is only the first step

Letter to BS: Without power to punish, the Lokpal is like a showpiece

We should not forget that the Lokpal and the Lokayuktas will not have powers to punish the guilty

SC gives Centre 10 days to reveal date for Lokpal selection panel's meeting

The Supreme Court also refused to pass directions to disclose names in the three panels

Govt begins hunt for Lokpal chief and other members, issues advertisement

An advertisement seeking applications from desired and eligible candidates has been issued by the Personnel Ministry