India News | Lokpal Given Requisite Staff to Conduct Graft Inquiry, Prosecution of Guilty Public Servants:Govt

New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has been given requisite staff to conduct preliminary inquiry in corruption cases and for prosecution of public servants, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Lokpal, the apex body to inquire and investigate graft complaints against public functionaries, came into being with the appointment of its chairperson and members in March 2019.

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"The institution of the Lokpal has been sanctioned requisite staff including that provided under sections 11 and 12 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

The government was asked whether the Lokpal has constituted an inquiry wing and prosecution wing under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, to conduct preliminary inquiry and prosecution respectively into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant.

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It was also asked whether the Lokpal has appointed Director of Inquiry and Prosecution under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, says that "there shall be a Director of Inquiry and a Director of Prosecution not below the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India or equivalent, who shall be appointed by the chairperson from a panel of names sent by the central government".

Replying to an RTI query filed by PTI, the Lokpal had recently said that it has written to the central government for the appointment of the directors of inquiry and prosecution, two top personnel for looking into complaints of corruption and processing the prosecution of guilty public servants.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)