Lokpal office moves to The Ashok

The country's first Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman, has managed to move into a temporary office, although, it is a five-star luxury hotel in Delhi. The chairperson, the eight-member team, and the support staff are in process of settling in the hotel premises.

According to an official, the Lokpal will have its temporary office in The Ashok hotel in Chanakyapuri.

"The office is on the second floor of the hotel. The official staff have already moved into the office, and it is fully-functional. The suites at the second floor have been converted into official space. We have been informed it is a temporary arrangement for a few months," said an official.

President Ram Nath Kovind on March 23 administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the chairperson of Lokpal.

The Lokpal's eight members were administered the oath by Justice Ghose on March 27.

Justice Ghose, 66, retired as the Supreme Court judge in May 2017. He was earlier member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Former chief justices of different high courts, Justices Dilip B Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, Abhilasha Kumari and Ajay Kumar Tripathi, took oath as judicial members of the Lokpal.

A high-level selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recommended the appointments of the chairperson and members of the Lokpal.

The Lokpal Act, which envisages appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.

Former first woman chief of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Archana Ramasundaram, former Maharashtra chief secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain, former IRS officer Mahender Singh and Gujarat cadre ex-IAS officer Indrajeet Prasad Gautam have been sworn in as the Lokpal's non-judicial members.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi has been nominated as eminent jurist following the death of senior advocate P.P. Rao.

--IANS

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