(AFP picture)New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed 11 states including Bengal to explain within two weeks what steps they had taken to appointment their anti-corruption ombudsmen, the Lokayukta and the Upalokayukta. It asked the chief secretary of a 12th state, Odisha, to state whether the office of the Lokayukta or his deputy, the Upalokayukta, in the state was "functional". Under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act of 2013, notified on January 16, 2014, the Centre should appoint a Lokpal and the states a Lokayukta each as an anti-graft ombudsman. An advocate, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, has petitioned the apex court saying many states are deliberately weakening their Lokayukta by failing to provide an adequate budget, infrastructure or workforce. The selection committee is made up of the Prime Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, leader of the Lok Sabha Opposition, Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist nominated by the other four members.

Source: The Telegraph March 23, 2018 21:11 UTC