Bihar govt gives nod to tabling Lokayukta Bill

The Nitish Kumar government on Thursday approved tabling of the Lokayukta Bill in the coming winter session of the Bihar assembly with the promise that it will be a strong and effective legislation.

Talking to PTI, Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi, who headed a three-member ministerial team to fine tune the draft of the proposed legislation approved by state cabinet, said it will be the most "effective and strong" Lokayukta.

Modi said the chief minister and other cabinet colleagues would come under the ambit of the Lokayukta.

"This bill has been enacted under the legislative competence of the House which should not go for presidential assent," he claimed.

Official sources said the draft of the bill which had come under flak from Team Anna, which had alleged that the proposed legislation by the Nitish Kumar government was not near to the one framed by Uttarakhand.

"We have a thorough and transparent system of selection of those who will set up and appoint the members of the Lokayukta," Modi said.

"It will prove to be a model for other states to adopt this kind of legislation which is very transparent and would redeem the legislative competence of a government," the Deputy Chief Minister added.