Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 18: "The Lokayukta has during the year, conducted 95 raids and booked 338 cases, towards an effort to regulate corrupt officials. The government should not intervene in the operations of the Lokayukta and let it file court proceedings against the guilty," opined Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde.

He was speaking to reporters after the inauguration of the silver jubilee year celebrations of M R Punja Industrial Training Institute located at Punaroor Tapovana near Mulky. When questioned as to whether the Lokayukta can look into the affairs of Mangalore University, he said that the Lokayukta has powers to take action, only if complaints backed with proper information about corrupt practices or atrocities are provided to it. However, the government has not given the power of taking suo moto action to the Lokayukta, he explained.

"After the helpline of the Lokayukta was made operational all 24 hours of the day, we have been receiving about 35 calls every day. Unless the people awaken to the ills of corrupt practices, it becomes impossible to destroy this evil," he opined.