SHILLONG:
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday asked the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) to properly read the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act before demanding reinstatement of the officials, who were recently removed by the Lokayukta.
“Let them (VPP) read out the Lokayukta Act. Read out properly then only you come up with your complaint,” Tynsong told reporters while responding to a question on the VPP’s decision to serve a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to reinstate the removed officials of the Lokayukta.
He also informed that the state government had already clarified the matter. “Without reading the Act I think it is not fair and the rules also already indicated that the officials of the Lokayukta should be a working officer,” Tynsong said.
“You can say anything but I am telling you from the government side before doing anything we have thought it properly a hundred times be it the political appointment, be it terminating the contractual staff in any offices we have done it with due diligence. Therefore, they (VPP) can say whatever but we also have our own procedures and own rules, we have to follow that accordingly,” he added.
The government had earlier clarified that the officers who have been removed from the office of the Lokayukta were retired personnel who have been drawn from the home police department.
On December 19, 2023, the office of the Meghalaya Lokayukta selected IAS officer IW Ingty as Director of Inquiry and three MPS officers as members – Challang G Momin, John Clitzer A Sangma and Baniateilang Diengngan.
The government had stated that the process of appointment of these officers has been as per the Lokayukta Act, 2014 under Section 10 (2) which says “there shall be a Director of Inquiry and Director of Prosecution not below the rank of the Additional Secretary to the State Government or equivalent, who shall be appointed by the Chairperson from a panel of names send by the State government”.
It had said, “Accordingly in Section 11 of the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act, 2014 it also says, “(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, the Lokayukta shall constitute an Inquiry Wing headed by the Director of Inquiry for the purpose of conducting a preliminary inquiry into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Provided that till such time the Inquiry Wing is constituted by the Lokayukta, the State Government shall make available such a number of officers and other staff from such of its Departments, as may be required by the Lokayukta, for conducting preliminary inquiry under this Act.
(2) For the purposes of assisting the Lokayukta in conducting a preliminary inquiry under this Act, the officers of the Inquiry Wing not below the rank of Under Secretary to that Government, shall have the same powers as are conferred upon the Lokayukta under section 88”.