L-G V K Saxena flags 'inordinate delay' in receiving Lokayukta reports from govt

New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has flagged an "inordinate delay" of three years in submission of Lokayukta reports by the city government which highlight the issues faced by the anti-corruption ombudsman in terms independence, lack of powers, financial autonomy.

Saxena has written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the matter. "I would like to advise that the minister concerned may please be guided appropriately to dispose such important matters of public interest within reasonable period, so that the statutory purpose of laying it before the legislative assembly is not defeated and Delhi is not deprived of its wisdom," the lieutenant governor (L-G) said in his letter.

Saxena received the 16th and the 17th annual consolidated reports of the Lokayukta of Delhi, pertaining to 2017-18 and 2018-19, "after a delay of three years from Kejriwal" and has approved the laying of the reports before the Delhi assembly, L-G office sources said on Friday.

While approving the reports, "he flagged the inordinate delay of three years" and "instead of laying down these reports before the legislative assembly, so that they are debated for further strengthening the system of Lokayukta, it (the delay) has deprived the

assembly from taking cognisance of these important reports which deal with matters of corruption, abuse or misuse of position in cases of public functionaries", a source said.

Reacting to the issue, the Delhi government in a statement said, "The L-G should stop behaving like a school headmaster."

In his letter, the L-G has asked Kejriwal to recall that even on "earlier occasion, such delays were brought to the chief

minister's notice and subsequently, the matter was placed in the assembly".

Saxena also pointed out that "being the custodian of

public trust, it is the incumbent upon higher public functionaries to display appropriate alertness in such matters of public importance".