The Akhilesh Yadav led Uttar Pradesh government and the Governor have not been on the same page over the issue of appointment of Lokayukta.
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh:
Uttar Pradesh will have to wait for some more time for a Lokayukta, as the meeting held at Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's residence failed to reach a consensus with the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court questioning the validity of the process.
The meeting was attended by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Swami Prasad Maurya and the chief minister.
The Chief Justice took up the issue of the validity of the process in light of the Lokayukta amendment Bill passed in the state assembly last month, which dropped the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice from the selection committee.
Though the Bill is pending before the Governor for approval, Justice Chandrachud still pressed for a legal opinion.
"The Chief Justice was of the view that as a Bill was passed in the state Assembly, deciding on the name of the Lokayukta could amount to its contempt. He suggested that legal opinion be taken for the same," said Mr Maurya.
The Bill proposed that the selection committee be made a four-member body comprising the chief minister, Leader of Opposition, Speaker and a retired judge who would be selected in consultation by the chief minister and the Speaker.
The amendment was passed after the Governor refused to accept the appointment of Justice (retd) Ravindra Singh as the new Lokayukta on the grounds that a proper meeting of the selection committee had not been held before finalising the name.
The Chief Justice had also expressed reservations over the candidate's apparent proximity to the ruling Samajwadi Party government. Ravindra Singh had opted out of the race for the key post by sending a letter to the chief minister.
The state government and the Governor have not been on the same page, and the file recommending Mr Singh's name has moved back and forth nearly half-a-dozen times between Raj Bhawan and the state government.
With the Supreme Court deadline to appoint a new Lokayukta already over, the state government is in a hurry to get the new incumbent in place. The present ombudsman, Justice NK Mehtrotra, has already spent nine years in office.
The meeting was attended by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Swami Prasad Maurya and the chief minister.
The Chief Justice took up the issue of the validity of the process in light of the Lokayukta amendment Bill passed in the state assembly last month, which dropped the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice from the selection committee.
Though the Bill is pending before the Governor for approval, Justice Chandrachud still pressed for a legal opinion.
"The Chief Justice was of the view that as a Bill was passed in the state Assembly, deciding on the name of the Lokayukta could amount to its contempt. He suggested that legal opinion be taken for the same," said Mr Maurya.
The Bill proposed that the selection committee be made a four-member body comprising the chief minister, Leader of Opposition, Speaker and a retired judge who would be selected in consultation by the chief minister and the Speaker.
The amendment was passed after the Governor refused to accept the appointment of Justice (retd) Ravindra Singh as the new Lokayukta on the grounds that a proper meeting of the selection committee had not been held before finalising the name.
The Chief Justice had also expressed reservations over the candidate's apparent proximity to the ruling Samajwadi Party government. Ravindra Singh had opted out of the race for the key post by sending a letter to the chief minister.
The state government and the Governor have not been on the same page, and the file recommending Mr Singh's name has moved back and forth nearly half-a-dozen times between Raj Bhawan and the state government.
With the Supreme Court deadline to appoint a new Lokayukta already over, the state government is in a hurry to get the new incumbent in place. The present ombudsman, Justice NK Mehtrotra, has already spent nine years in office.
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