Odisha Congress blames government for delay in Lokayukta appointment

The Congress in Odisha on Wednesday criticized the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government for delay in appointment of Lokayukta.

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik said while the time frame given by the Supreme Court has expired, the government did not implement the order to root out corruption.

He said the apex court ordered the state government to complete the appointment process by July 10 but the Chief Secretary filed the status report in the court on July 11.

"As per that, the court gave just two months time to appoint Lokayukta. But the state has also failed in making appointment. No steps have been taken in this regard," Patnaik alleged.

He said former senior minister of the state Damodar Rout has put forth so many corruption allegations against the government while the Chief Minister has not taken any steps to inquire into these allegations.

"This shows how transparent the state government is. Because of all these reasons, Odisha government is afraid of appointing Lokayukta in the state," Patnaik said.

--IANS

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