"UNSCRUPLOUS POLITICIANS" IN MEGHALAYA TO PROVE POINT WITH LOKAYUKTA

The Meghalaya Government today affirmed that it would dispel the perception that “politicians are the most unscrupulous people” by soon passing a “strong and effective” Lokayukta Bill.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said in the Assembly that people have this perception nowadays that “politicians are the most unscrupulous people” around, but in fact corruption is endemic to all sections of the society.

The Meghalaya Government has been under tremendous pressure to pass a strong Lokayukta Bill from the civil society. This demand has found support with some legislators who have openly rejected the earlier Bill passed last year as “weak and ineffective” to fight corruption.

The then opposition Nationalist Congress party walked out of the Assembly, when the Bill was passed without discussion, saying, it did not want to be part of a legacy known for passing ineffective Bills.

Some legislators from the treasury too have voiced similar concern at that time, but the Government went ahead and passed it only to be snubbed by Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary who withheld his assent, maintaining the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill, 2012 needs changes.

Paul Lyngdoh from the opposition United Democratic Party moving a resolution said the Lokayukta Bills does not upheld the ethos of transparency and justice that legislators espouses.

He pointed several anomalies to buttress his claim and suggested that “it should be redrafted instead of amending most of the clauses.” “Take members from the opposition in redrafting the Bill or send it to a select committee,” Lyngdoh demanded.

Other members of the House, like John Leslee Sangma, said, the Bill was weak, defensive and “exposed fear in the Government.” “Although the Government passed the Bill it cleverly inserted clauses to get away (from corruption charges). It was passed with an intention to obstruct justice and as a defense for the corrupt,” Leslee, one of the new members of the House, insisted.

The Chief Minister said later that the Government would not shy away from its responsibility in bringing a Bill that is acceptable to all sections of the society and it would do it soon.

“The Government would do all it can to fight corruption and would also supplement the Lokayukta Bill with other legislations like social auditing of schemes and a law for effective delivery mechanisms,” he assured the House.