Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday gave a nod to empowering the Lokayukta in the state. The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, took a decision not to file a petition of appeal against the judgment of a two-judge bench nullifying the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and giving police power to Lokayukta.
The Cabinet has decided to follow the order of the High Court. State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said the government will look into the issue of providing enough staff and consent for the prosecution.
He clarified that there is no connection between the individual who had approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of the High Court and the government. The decision has been taken to fill up vacant seven posts in Lokayukta by outsourcing.
In 2016, the Congress-led Karnataka government headed by Siddaramaiah had to make the Lokayukta institution toothless by creating ACB. There were allegations that ACB worked as the lapdog of the government rather than a watchdog. The High Court has ordered the transfer of all cases to the Lokayukta from the ACB.
Sources say that the ruling BJP is expected to give a green signal to the de-notification case against Opposition leader Siddaramaiah.
