Madhya Pradesh Government May Amend Act To Give More Teeth To Lokayukta

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Lokayukta, state's top anti-corruption watchdog, is pushing for enhanced authority, with the state government considering an amendment to the MP Lokayukt Evam Up-Lokayukt Act, 1981.

The proposal aims to broaden the definition of "public servant" in the statute, enabling Lokayukta to investigate a wider array of people and institutions.

Currently, the Act defines a "public servant" as ministers, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, em-ployees of the state government, vice-chancellors of universities and top officials of state-established companies and local authorities.

However, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1948 defines "public servant" much more expansively, including judges of the lower judiciary, employees of any institution receiving financial assistance from the government, arbitrators, liquidators, receivers and anyone performing public duties for government-aided organisations

If the amendment is ap-proved, Lokayukta would be empowered to probe any per-son or organisation that has received government funding or aid.

This change would substantially increase its scope and give it much more authority in tackling corruption across a broader spectrum of public services.

Proposal sent to govt

Lokayukta's proposal for amending the definition of 'Public Servant' has been forwarded to the state government for review, to determine if it can align with the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The proposed amendment could be introduced in the upcoming or future sessions of the Vidhan Sabha