Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat
on Wednesday said the Governor has referred back the 'Goa Lokayukta
Bill 2011' to the state government raising some queries.
Kamat told reporters in Panaji the bill has been
referred to the state Law Department to examine the queries
and write back to the Raj Bhavan.
The bill passed on October 6 by the state legislative
Assembly was referred to the governor's office a fortnight
ago.
When asked to elaborate, Kamat replied, "he did not
know what were the queries raised by Raj Bhavan".
The legislation, initially named as 'Goa Lokayukta
Bill 2003', was passed in 2007 and thereafter referred to the
President, however, it was sent back by the President pointing
out certain queries.
Meanwhile, as the anti-graft movement led by Anna
Hazare gathered steam across the country, the said legislation
was taken up in the Goa Legislative Assembly in the recently
held session.
The bill was passed under the new name of the 'Goa
Lokayukta Bill 2011', and was referred to the Governor for his
assent. Kamat said the bill was referred back this week.
Meanwhile, the India Against Corruption (IAC) who was
instrumental in the passage of the bill today alleged that the
decision to refer back the bill smacks of delaying tactics by
the state government.
"The bill should have been directly sent to President
as all the queries pointed out last time were satisfied," IAC
activist Satish Sonak said, adding that the state government
should make public all the objections raised by governor.
"If the government wants to earn the confidence of
public, it should let people know what are the objections
raised," Sonak said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 20:31