Keshubhai hails dismissal of govt's Lokayukta review petition

Former Gujarat chief minister and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) president Keshubhai Patel today hailed Supreme Court's yesterday's decision to dismiss Gujarat government's petition seeking review of judgement which upheld the appointment of Justice (retd) R A Mehta as state Lokayukta.
"The state government first challenged the decision of Gujarat High Court in the Supreme Court, which upheld the latter's decision....(then) it challenged the Supreme Court's decision by filing a review petition," Keshubhai said, addressing meeting of party workers here.
"The state government wanted to hide its corrupt practises and that's why, it was dilly-dallying on the issue of appointment of Lokayukta for the last nine years," he said.

Patel also said that state government was giving false dreams to people, to win votes. "The BJP says it will provide a corruption-free government. Whatever corruption by the state government has been exposed till now is only a tip of the iceberg," said the 83-year-old veteran leader.
"The work of laying 48,000 km of Narmada canal network is still incomplete while the construction had begun years ago. The state government is wasting people's money in the name of development," Patel said.
A resolution was passed at this meeting of GPP workers and district chiefs against the Irrigation and Drainage Bill 2013, which, according to Patel, violates the rights of farmers and is draconian. The bill proposes that farmers must obtain a licence to draw underground water beyond prescribed depths. There would be a penal action for non-compliance.

Resolutions were also passed about drinking water shortage in Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat, and the "deteriorating law and order situation" in the state.
GPP general secretary Gordhan Zadaphia said the district presidents will submit a memorandum to collectors on March 25 regarding the problems faced by locals.