Udupi: Nyaya Ratna Award and Samaja Ratna Award were conferred on the former Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde and Chancellor of Nitte University N. Vinaya Hegde, respectively, by the Paryaya Pejawar Mutt at Rajangana here on Wednesday.

The awards were presented by Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt.

Speaking to presspersons here after receiving the Nyaya Ratna Award, Mr. Santosh Hegde, lauded demonetisation.

“The poor and the middle classes had to suffer during the initial stages. Their suffering was a temporary phase. Demonetisation will help the country in the long run. The government had to implement it suddenly else the matter would have got leaked,” he said.

To another question, Mr. Hegde said that earlier the Lokayukta institution in the State was the best in the country. But the State government had diluted the Lokayukta by creating the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Besides, the State government had been dragging its feet on filling the post of Lokayukta, he said.

To a query on lack of transparency in donations to the Aam Aadmi Party, Mr. Santosh Hegde said that the social activist Anna Hazare had asked the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to maintain full transparency on donations, but this had not been done.