It is indeed a matter of pride that Manipur is one of the forerunners in properly instituting Lokayukta, among the states of India. Till December 2020, only four states including, Manipur had appointed judicial and non-judicial members of anti-corruption ombudsman Lokayukta, according to a Transparency International India report. The report on the state of affairs at anti-graft panels across the country said that out of the 28 states and three union territories (UTs), the post of Lokayukta is vacant in eight states and UTs namely Assam, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Puducherry. The other states were Bihar, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
The Lokpal & Lokayukta Bill simply known as Lokpal Bill was given assent to by the President of India on January 1, 2014 and it became operative from January 14. Four years, it remained in the shelves till Manipur Lok Ayukta Act was introduced in Manipur assembly in 2018 and became effective from April 1 that same year. After about a year taken in framing rules, Manipur Lok Ayukta finally came into existence on May 13, 2019. Justice (Retd) T Nandakumar Singh was sworn-in as the first chairman of the Manipur Lokayukta at Raj Bhawan along with Justice (Retd) Basu Deo Agarwal and Ameising Luikham, IAS (Retd) on June 19, 2019. Justice Nandakumar retired as the Acting Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court.
Lokayukta was created as an independent organisation with powers of investigation and prosecution for complaints against elected members and public servants and helps resolve people grievances effectively, efficiently and timely. It has complete and exclusive authority for enquiring into allegations or complaints against ministers and MLAs, including the chief minister besides government officials.
Lokayukta Act also covers former chief ministers and all public servants and has powers to enquire into corruption allegations and related matters.
Now, the anti-corruption ombudsman has started to slowly open the can of worms which had long remained hidden from public view, either by political pressure or otherwise. The first case to be brought to the public domain is the ADC fund misappropriation case of Tamenglong district. Lok Ayukta headed by Retd Justice T Nandakumar had earlier directed Manipur Police to file an FIR in the ADC fund misappropriation case of Tamenglong district after finding prima facie evidence. It involved at least 21 ADC officials, members and engineers including the then CEO Tamenglong D Gangmei. It was alleged that the Autonomous District Council (ADC), Tamenglong had spent a sum of more than 18 crores for developmental works.
Interestingly, D Gangmei was recently nominated by BJP as its candidate from Nungba assembly constituency. Investigation of alleged misappropriation of ADC funds by Lok Ayukta had been going on in almost all the hill districts for quite some time and the Tamenglong case is the first to be acted upon by the anti-corruption watchdog. If reports are to be believed, investigation in the case of Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel districts are already in an advanced stage and action may follow anytime soon. The allegations of fund misappropriation first came out in the open through queries by RTI activists who were threatened to withdraw their RTI applications by NSCN IM.
Lokayukta has added another case of fund misappropriation in Power department which goes back to the time when former CM Okram Ibobi was reigning. On Monday, it directed Manipur Kakching SP Shrey Vats to investigate an alleged fund embezzlement case in connection with the installation of 33 Kv sub-station project in Chakpikarong. For proper investigation of the case, Lok Ayukta has ordered to relieve certain officials of Manipur State Power Company Limited (MSPCL) including its Managing Director N Sarat Singh of their duties, during the inquiry. The erstwhile Electricity Department was bifurcated into two state owned companies namely, Manipur State Power Company Ltd. (MSPCL), & Manipur State Power Distribution Company Ltd. (MSPDCL) with effect 1st February 2014. Let us watch and see, which case the ombudsman takes up next.
