Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter The downing of a Crusader – Santosh Hegde’s Case The Lokpal and the Lokayuktas

FIROZ.T.TOTANAWALA

THE BANGALORE METRO REPORTER 

 The downing of a Crusader – Santosh Hegde’s Case 

The Lokpal and the Lokayuktas 

The administrative reforms commission set up by the then Prime Minister in 1966 recommended establishment of Lokayuktas in the states with the purpose to eradicate the then prevailing corruption and to report about their functionality to the Lokpal at the centre. The heads of the Lokayuktas and the Lokpal are known as the Lokayuktas. 

The Lokayuktas are empowered to look into the complaints against mis- and mal-administrative actions, corruptions, arbitrariness, nepotism and indiscipline found in the administrative circles. Their main aim is to see that the public is not inconvenienced in the process of getting administrative clearances from the government offices. 

The Lokayuktas of Karnataka 

 A D Koshal was the first among the Lokayuktas appointed to the office, who had discharged his duties from 1986-1991, followed by N Ravindranath Paine (1991-1996), S A Hakeem (1996-2001), Justice N Venkatachala (2001-2006) and finally Justice N Santosh Hegde (from 2006 till date). The tenures of the previous Lokayuktas were never as turbulent as that of Justice Santosh Hegde. The Crusader Ever since Justice Santosh Hegde assumed his office he has been active in identifying the culprits involved in the corruptive administrative practices. He has been attentive, kind hearted, accessible to the common man, bold and fearless in carrying out his duties sincerely and efficiently. The most admirable part of his character is that he has never colluded with the government and concealed the corruption committed by the government machinery and its members, and never failed to bring the culprits, including the IAS, IPS babus and the likes, to the book of crime. 

Pensioners who failed to receive their pensions, patients who were denied proper treatment in the government hospitals, victims due to the callousness of the BBMP, victims of the high-handedness of the police department and the revenue departments, including the Registration departments, etc, all were so confident that there is someone behind them who would assist and extend the helping hand in their times of need and adversity. In short, Justice Santosh Hegde has been everywhere in the shape of a soulful crusader bailing everyone out from their problems irrespective of their caste and creed. 

The fear phobia 

Although he has never wanted to spread the wings of fear syndrome within the administrative circles, the phobia of fear was inculcated into the minds of the public servants automatically after every raid conducted by him. His men were too sincere enough and spread across the seamless corridors of the administrative machinery. The thought of his being everywhere alone was sufficient to the smooth functioning of the administrative machinery. It was therefore his becoming popular among the public was against the interest of the government, the netas and the babus. 

 The revelation 

During his tenure he has uncovered the corruptive practices carried out by the various governments and exposed the scams involving several crores of Rupees. He was stubborn calling a-spade-a-spade and seized several tonnes of Iron Ore illegally excavated by the companies owned by the ministers. He was transparent in revealing the seized and illegally amassed wealth of the corrupt officials of various departments to the public. He was instrumental in surrendering the seized wealth of the corrupt officials amounting to several crores of Rupees to the government treasury- an act which was never done by any other Lokayuktas in the past. He has been true and sincere in his efforts of upholding the cause and intention of the establishment of his office. 

 The dereliction 

But the government never wanted to eradicate the corruption from its fold and punish the ones involved in the corruptive practices, for the entire government is corrupt. In case there is no corruption in the government, there would not be government at all. The corrupt officials caught red-handed by the sleuths of the Lokayukta were reinstated by the government against the wishes and recommendations of the Lokayukta. The seized illegally mined Iron Ore was taken away without the knowledge of the Lokayukta, but done under very nose of the government. The government ignored appointing the Upa Lokayukta, who has been conferred with the special powers to take up the cases of corruption and deliver judgments on over 8000 pending cases. 

 Finally, successive governments have failed to give the ‘suo motto’ powers desired by the Lokayuktas which would facilitate them to prosecute the corrupt officials in the court of law. The present government, especially, the Chief Minister, who had promised, prior to his contesting elections, to honour the genuine demands and consider giving the requisite powers to the Lokayuktas, has failed to keep up his promises, instead started shedding the crocodile tears on hearing the news about the resignation tendered by the Lokayukta. 

 Public - the sufferers 

Having no head to complain about the corruption, the public at large is desperate now and would be taken to task and tortured as before by the government and its members in the coming days. The only institute which has been involved in the process of curtailing and eradicating the practices of corruption is laid down to rest and so is the Crusader's determined goal.