Mokokchung, July 24 (MTNews): Two activists of the RTI Initiative Nagaland, Odi Jamir and ST Yapang Longkumer, have written to the Governor of Nagaland to intervene after they received a ‘damp squib’ reply from the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department (Vigilance Branch) of the government of Nagaland to their RTI query. The duo had filed an RTI application to the department on June 7 last seeking a photocopy of the Nagaland Lokayukta Rules framed by the Government of Nagaland. However, it was replied that the Nagaland Lokayukta Rules has not been framed till date.
The P&AR Department had also stated in its reply that, in pursuance of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act, 2017 a High Power Committee was constituted to look into the Nagaland Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta (conditions of Service) Rules and to give effect to Section 36 of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act, 2O17 on the transfer of service conditions for staff under Vigilance Commission to Lokayukta. It was also mentioned that the Draft Rules was under consideration and a copy of it cannot be provided as it was yet to be finalized.
Following this, the RTI activists wrote to the Governor on July 16 seeking gubernatorial intervention into the matter. According to the letter, the Nagaland Lokayukta Act was passed in the year 2017 and, subsequently, the government on January 23, 2019 constituted a High Power Committee with the Chief Secretary of Nagaland as chairman and the Advocate General of Nagaland and the Secretary of Law and Justice as members to give effect to Section 36 of the Nagaland Lokayukta Act 2017, which pertains to Nagaland Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayukta Service Rules and ‘transfer of service condition for staff under state Vigilance Commission to Lokayukta.’
The RTI activists wrote to the Governor saying that despite the Nagaland Lokayukta office “functioning in full swing” for the last three years five months, no such rules have been framed by the Government of Nagaland in respect of the Nagaland Lokayukta Office till date. They also mentioned that when they filed cases with the Nagaland Lokayukta, the appellant and the employees face many hurdles and obstacles due to absence of specific rules and regulations.
The RTI activists questioned how “the Government of Nagaland keeps pending and allows functioning an ombudsman department without Rules for such a long time” like a ship without radar. “It is imperative of the Government to frame the rules to function a new Office before it starts functioning,” they said.
They also mentioned that, in the interest of public service, the Government should provide enough manpower strength, conveyance for mobilization, strong Rules and regulations, sufficient budget, adequate strength of administrative and investigation officers and staff to Nagaland Lokayukta.
Expressing deep concern about Nagaland Lokayukta functioning without established rules, the RTI activists requested the Governor to intervene in the matter of framing Rules for Nagaland Lokayukta without any further delay to “deliver the justice up to the extent of public expectation.”