Over 120 cases against ministers in Lokayukta, reveals RTI

Around 127 cases have been filed against ministers at the Lokayukta in over 14 years, according to an RTI reply. Activist Anil Galgali, who had sought the answer, had also asked the number of cases in which Lokayukta had recommended that the government take action.

Maharashtra Lokayukta does not have punitive powers. It also does not cover the chief minister. If there has been injustice, it can only recommend that the government take corrective measures. In all it has sent around 2,034 recommendations. To the governor, it has sent around 600 reports. The most number of cases against ministers was in 2003; in 2014, up to October, there has been no case at all.

On action taken, only in four cases has the government got back to the Lokayukta. The four against whom action was taken were all former ministers. And the last action against a minister was in 2002. The government in its report to the Lokayukta had written that directives had been issued in cases of ministers Sulekha Kumbhare, Kripashankar Singh, Nawab Malik, Syed Ahmed and Chhagan Bhujbal.

While in some cases directives were given that ministers not give oral orders, in others ministers were told not to interfere with court orders. In some, ministerial staff was directed to put things in writing, while in some they were asked to give reasons for the orders they were issuing.

"I had filed the RTI because the new CM had stated he would make the body more powerful. It was to check the status of the body that I filed RTI. I have written to him stating that now that he had become the CM, he should make Lokayukta stronger and bring the CM under its purview. If it is made stronger, it can take action against officials," said Galgali.