Bangalore: Justice N Santhosh Hegde, Lokayukta for Karnataka made a distinction between a Lokpal only for the Centre and ombudsmen for various states where corruption has assumed alarming proportions and expressed doubts about applying the Central Lokpal Bill in every state against rampant corrupt practices followed in each state.
The Lok Pal, he clarified, will deal with Central ministers, the Prime Minister and CG employees. But there is much more corruption in each state which does not punish a minister, a CM and top officers in states. This has to be tackled by a Lokayukta in every state, as in Karnataka.
Justice Hegde pointed out that a few states did have their Lokayukta or vigilance officer. But the Centre has no Lok Pal, he is overdue. There is strong need to draft a rigid and actionable Lok Pal Bill for the Centre, he felt. The strong alternative of a Lok Pal bill drafted by civil society members would not only fight corruption at Central levels but also at various state levels.
Speaking to a news service in Bangalore on Friday after his visit to hometown Mangalore, the Lokayukta of Karnataka who also drafts clauses for Jan Lok Pal Bill to come during monsoon session in the Parliament for a debate, stated that a legal entity to suppress and route out official corruption at the Central level was essential for democracy. The members of civil society on the drafting committee, he hoped would ensure that uniform law prevailed in all states to prevent corruption , even if the Central Lokpal could not directly deal with state cases.
90% of graft (bribery) cases occurred at ground levels in states from GP to district levels. The Central instances may be few but amount concerned may be large and forbidding in proportions, he said.
The affected persons (caught in the criminal act) may take legal recourse, which cannot be denied to him/her in law, as a constitutional right, until guilt is established.
Hegde conceded that the Karnataka Lokayukta Act was one of the best, but the Central Bill would be different in a larger context, and having Lokayukta in every state. Justice Hegde as a Lokayukta for 4 years, agreed he could not check corruption and maladministration for want of adequate powers.