KOCHI: The RTI Kerala Federation has demanded that the state government withdraw the Lok Ayukta ordinance with immediate effect.
The decision to bring this ordinance is to kill efforts to prevent corruption and nepotism. The government’s move aims to suppress democracy and people’s right to justice, it said.
The move by the state to rush through the ordinance even when the state legislative assembly indicates that there is an ulterior motive of the government to scuttle the independence of the Lok Ayukta, said a statement issued by the state committee of the federation.
When EK Nayyanar was the chief minister and E Chandrasekharan Nair was the law minister, the institution of Lok Ayukta was discussed in detail in the legislative assembly. It is a highly dubious move as one does not understand what the urgency and requirement is, to change the institution’s independence which has been accepted for decades, it said.
“We are doing away with the one institution which will guard the democracy against corruption, nepotism and misuse of power by politicians and the powers that be. There is no point in spending money from the state exchequer on an institution which has no powers beyond the district collectors or village officers’ powers,” the statement said.
“The federation expressed its strong protest against the move to render Lok Ayukta powerless. This is an institution that empowers ordinary citizens to fight against corruption and misuse of office by the ruling government,” said president Shashikumar Mavelikkara and general secretary A Jayakumar in their statement.
In another statement, Chalakudy MP Benny Behnan asked if CPI will oppose the Lok Ayukta ordinance when it comes for discussion in the assembly. “If Kanam Rajendran’s statement that the CPI does not understand the urgency of issuing an ordinance to amend the Lok Ayukta Act is sincere, will the party’s MLAs be instructed to vote against it? The other constituents in LDF should also state their position on Kanam’s allegation that the ordinance was brought without discussing with the Left Front parties. The Front leadership should clarify whether Pinarayi Vijayan’s decision was imposed on them,” said Behnan.
The Constitution itself empowers the governor to return the ordinance once and for all. Yet the non-return is evidence of a give-and-take between the governor and the chief minister. In many respects, the governor is in cahoots with the government, he alleged.
