Bhopal: Akin to some other states, plans are afoot to make Lokayukta, an anti-corruption ombudsman organization, powerless in the state. The government is mulling on doing away with Lokayukta’s Special Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up under Lokayukta Act, 1982. The state government is considering shelving the SPE and instead setting up anti-corruption wing under the Director General of Police (DGP). This is being done to keep control on DGP even when action is taken in cases related to corruption. The government is considering bringing an amendment bill during budget session of the state assembly to amend Lokayukta Act. A preliminary discussion has taken place in this matter before Chief Minister Kamal Nath and final decision would be taken soon.
Lokayukta has all powers related to special establishment police in cases related to raids, inquiry in complaints of corruption and submitting chargesheets in corruption cases. With the doing away of SEP, the Lokayukta would turn into merely an advisory body. Lokayukta would have to forward complaints of corruption to DGP for investigations. A dispute came up between government and Lokayukta when Lokayukta ADG Madhukumar was posted after Congress came into power and transfer of ADG Ravi Gupta. Lokayukta had written to government then but the matter was settled down after meeting of Chief Minister and Lokayukta. The government had upper hand in the whole episode then. Another reason behind doing away with special establishment police is said to be making Economic Offences Wing (EOW) more powerful. EOW comes under general administration department and it comes under the government. The anti-corruption wing would be under DGP and hence, it would be under control of the government.
