Panaji: Goa government on Thursday said the Presidential assent to the state`s Lokayukta bill is expected within a fortnight.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava was following up the Goa Lokayukta Bill`s progress.
"We will get the assent in the next 15 days as we are addressing all the queries raised by Centre," Parrikar said here.
BJP had promised in its election manifesto to set up Lokayukta within 100 days of coming to power.
Parrikar said a department of union government had raised a question about the Goa bill, pointing out that the Centre itself was in the process of passing Lokpal Bill.
The Chief Minister said while Lokpal Bill may take time to get passed, the office of Lokayukta, once created in the state, can continue even after Lokpal Bill becomes an Act.
"Even if you have Lokpal, Lokayukta will continue, except that wherever there is a clash between both the bodies, the central Act will prevail," Parrikar said.
The Goa Lokayukta Bill was passed by the Assembly during the tenure of Digambar Kamat government and was sent to the President in January.
PTI
