Team Mangalorean - Bangalore
from Shweta Somaya

Bangalore: In a hard-hitting reprimand to the state government, the high court of Karnataka has taken it to task on the delay in the appointment of Lokayukta. It has warned that, should the appointment be delayed beyond a week, it (the court) may have to recommend to the governor that the constitutional machinery had broken down in the state.

H S Neelakanthappa from Tarikere in Chikmagalur district had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the matter. The division bench of the high court comprising Justices Vikramjit Sen and Aravind Kumar issued notices to the government and the chief minister and adjourned the next hearing to July 23.

The bench also sought to know as to why the government was dragging its feet on appointing a Lokayukta. The government counsel explained that an appeal in the matter was in the supreme court. Legal opinion was being sought on the new appointment in the light of the appeal, he said.

The bench queried about the issue pending in the supreme court. As far as the knowledge of the bech went, the pending appeal was in the matter of the Upa Lokayukta.

The bench warned that if the appointment was not made within a week, it would not hesitate to recommend to the governor to take further action. It was up to the government to choose the appointment of the Lokayukta or recommendation to the governor, it said in a stiff-sounding reprimand.