Lokpal received 110 corruption complaints, 4 against MPs, in 2020-21

As many as 110 complaints, including four against Members of Parliament, were received by anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal during 2020-21, registering over 92 per cent decline from the number of plaints received in 2019-20, according to latest official data.

The Lokpal had received 1,427 corruption complaints in 2019-20, it said.

Of the total complaints received in the last fiscal, 57 were against Group A or Group B central government officials, 44 against chairpersons, members and employees of different boards/corporations/autonomous bodies wholly or partially financed by the Centre, and five were in the “others” category, it said.

President Ram Nath Kovind had on March 23, 2019 administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the chairperson of Lokpal, the apex body to inquire and investigate into allegations of corruption against public functionaries, including the prime minister.

The Lokpal's eight members--four judicial and the rest non-judicial--were administered the oath of office by Justice Ghose on March 27 that year. At present, the Lokpal has vacancy of two judicial members.

The Lokpal ordered preliminary inquiry into 30 complaints and closed 75 plaints after preliminary examination, the data said.

A total of 13 complaints were closed after considering preliminary inquiry report in 2020-21, it said.

As many as 14 complaints sent for preliminary inquiry against Group A and B officials were pending with the chief vigilance commissioner and three with the Central Bureau of Investigation, said the Lokpal data.

An action taken report in one case was pending with the Delhi Development Authority, it said.

Of the 1,427 complaints received by the Lokpal during 2019-20, 613 were related to state government officials and four against Union ministers and Members of Parliament, according to the data.

It said 245 complaints were against central government officials, 200 against those in public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, judicial institutions and autonomous bodies at the central level, and 135 were
against private persons and organisations.

There were six complaints against state ministers and members of legislative assemblies and four against Union ministers, the data said.

Of the total complaints, 220 were requests/comments or suggestions, it said.

As many as 613 complaints were related to state government officials, public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, judicial institutions and autonomous bodies at state level, the data said.

Of the total complaints, 1,347 were disposed of, it said, adding that 1,152 complaints were beyond the Lokpal's jurisdiction.