Karnataka Lokayukta to be recast on lines of Centre's Lokpal Act
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Feb 21: While the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi headed by Arvind Kejriwal had to bow out in its bid to enact its own Jan Lokpal Bill contravening the Constitutional norms and the provisions of the recently enacted Lokpal Act of the Congress-led UPA regime, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is gearing up to recast its existing Karnataka Lokayukta Act on the lines of the Central Lokpal Act.
The Siddaramaiah regime is understood to have already drafted the recast legislation and is believed to have made up its mind to move the Karnataka Lokayukta Bill, 2014, in the ongoing State legislature session on Monday itself.
The Karnataka Lokayukta Bill, 2014, which is being introduced in the Assembly seeks to empower the Lokayukta by bringing Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and top bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary, under its ambit.
''Karnataka will probably be the first State to recast its Lokayukta law in accordance with the UPA regime’s Lokpal Act, which was pushed by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi,” official sources claimed.
A State Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday has decided to introduce the new Karnataka Lokayukta Bill on the lines of the Lokpal Act of the Centre to ensure effective functioning of the Lokayukta. The Bill would be debated in both houses of the State legislature, official sources said.
The State Cabinet has cleared several irrigation projects worth Rs 4,387 crore.
It has cleared a lift irrigation project at Babaleshwara in Bagalkot district and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,488.87 crore.
A decision has been taken to set up four special veterinary hospitals in Belgaum, Mysore, Tumkur and Gulbarga. The cost of each hospital was Rs 3.5 crore.
It was also decided to set up a super speciality veterinary hospital in Bangalore and its estimated cost is Rs 8 crore.
The State Cabinet decided to extend the ‘Yashaswini scheme’ to 75 lakh members of cooperative societies in urban areas in the State.
The premium per member is Rs 1000 per year and a member is eligible to get medical expenses up to Rs one lakh at one hospital admission.