Goa Governor refers back Lokayukta Bill to Assembly

Goa Governor B V Wanchoo has referred back the Lokayukta Bill, 2013 to the state Legislative Assembly suggesting amendments to two clauses over which RTI activists and civil society groups had raised objections.
Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar today tabled the Bill for reconsideration of the House.
The Governor has asked the government to reconsider two clauses - one related to deemed rejection and another related to fine for filing frivolous complaint.
Both these clauses were also objected by RTI activists and Aam Admi Party (AAP).
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters outside the Assembly hall that the necessary amendments, as suggested by the Governor, would be introduced during this Assembly session itself.

The government has no problem in amending the deemed rejection clause and scaling down the fine as a penalty for frivolous complaint, but the entire clause of the fine would not be scrapped, Parrikar said.

"I will not agree to delete the entire clause," he said.
The Goa Lokayukta (First Amendment) Bill, 2013 had a clause of deemed rejection.
The Governor has said that the clause "appears to be contrary to customary norms and therefore may be reconsidered."
For the amendment of Section 19(1) of the Bill, which seeks to increase the costs or compensation payable to the public functionary by the complainant in order to prevent filing of false or frivolous and vexatious complaints, the Governor has said that the quantum of the fine may be reconsidered.

The deemed rejection clause says that if the Lokayukta's recommendations are not accepted by the Government, they would be deemed rejected.