Lokayukta Bill tabled in House

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 27

Uttarakhand Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant introduced the Lokayukta Bill, Transfer Bill for government employees and vote on account for Rs 16,048.74 crore in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly today.

While introducing the two Bills in the afternoon session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant reiterated his government’s commitment to act tough on corruption and end nepotism in transfers. “These were brought and enacted by the BJP-led Khanduri government in 2011 but were annulled by the Congress government in 2012. Their reintroduction once again affirms our government’s commitment to act tough on corruption,” Pant said.

The introduction of the vote-on-account Bill today will be followed by its passage tomorrow.

After two months, the government will bring the regular Budget.

Significantly, Trivendra Rawat government’s decision to introduce the two Bills that are aimed at curbing corruption are in line with the directives of the Modi government.

Party sources say the Central Government has asked all BJP-ruled states to come up with steps that their respective governments had taken to curb corruption.

These would be showcased as major achievements of the BJP government under Narendra Modi for its third anniversary falling on May 25.

Meanwhile, in the morning session of the House, Congress MLA Preetam Singh raised the issue of a beat watcher who was run over by a tractor-trailer. The government employee was on duty and had tried to stop the illegal mining underway on Kosi riverbed.

Though the Opposition demanded discussion under Rule 310, Speaker Prem Chand Aggarwal allowed discussion under Rule 58.

Intervening in the discussion, Leader of the Opposition Indira Hridayesh also demanded that the government provide job to at least one member of the family.

To this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant assured the House that the government will show zero tolerance in this matter. “A case has already been registered in this case and Jaswant Singh (accused) has been sent to judicial custody,” he said.