Stalin skips Lokayukta meet, govt names panel to pick chief

The Tamil Nadu government Friday constitued a search committee to pick a chief and members for the anti-graft body, Lokayukta following a meeting of the selection panel led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

While the Selection Committee (SC) led by Palaniswami met at the Secretariat, Leader of Opposition M K Stalin, who is a member of the panel skipped the meet reiterating his stand that Lokayukta in its present form will not help root out corruption.

The selection panel's meet constituted a three-member search committee headed by retired Judge K Venkataraman to recommend names for the positions of chairperson and members for the Lokayukta.

Stalin had said Thursday that he would not participate in the panel's meet and had flagged aspects like absence of investigation and prosecution wings in the Lokayukta.

The DMK chief had opposed the Lokayukta Bill when it was introduced and later adopted in the Assembly in July this year calling it "toothless.