Court declines to hear plea on Lokayukta appointment
By IANSWednesday, May 5, 2010
GANDHINAGAR - A division bench of the Gujarat High Court Wednesday declined to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) which sought its intervention for filling up the post of Lokayukta lying vacant for the last seven years.
The division bench of Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi said “not before me” when the PIL filed by Amit Jethwa came up before it.
The division bench directed the registry to move the petition before another division bench of the high court.
Jethwa through his advocate Vijay Nagesh filed the PIL and challenged inaction of the Gujarat government in appointing the Lokayukta.
The petitioner stated that he had approached the secretary, General Administration Department (GAD) of the state government in this connection. However, the government neither replied to the communication nor initiated any action for appointment of the Lokayukta.
The petition stated that the state has not appointed the Lokayukta since November 2003. The petitioner said that the aggrieved citizens of the state are compelled to approach the high court due to non-appointment of the Lokayukta which ultimately increases the burden on the judiciary.
He sought the high court’s intervention and directions to the state government to appoint the Lokayukta under the Gujarat Lokayukta Act, 1986.
However, Mukhopadhya ordered the matter to be listed before an appropriate bench in which he is not a member.
