AP passes Bill to amend AP Lokayukta Act

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly Friday passed a Bill to amend the AP Lokayukta Act, 1983, that will enable appointment of either a retired Chief Justice or a retired Judge of a High Court as the Lokayukta.

Section 3(1) of the AP Lokayukta Act stipulated that a (sitting) judge or a retired Chief Justice of High Court be appointed as the Lokayukta.

"It is observed that sitting judge or retired Chief Justice of a High Court may not be available for appointment as Lokayukta.

In order to mitigate the non-availability, it has been decided to amend the clause of the Act," the amendment Bill moved on behalf of the Chief Minister said.

Speaking on the Bill, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy criticised the previous Chandrababu Naidu government for not doing anything to appoint the Lokayukta in the last five years.

"A simple amendment would have enable appointment of the Lokayukta but the previous government had scant respect for the institution," he said.

The Bill was passed by voice vote.