Justice PC Ghose was administred oath of office as the chairperson of Lokpal last year.
New Delhi:
A total of 55 complaints, including three against Members of Parliament (MPs), were received by anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal between April and September period of this fiscal, according to official data.
Of the total complaints, 22 were against Group A and B category central government officials, 26 against chairpersons, members and employees of different boards/corporations/ autonomous bodies wholly or partially financed by the Centre and four were in other category, it said.
It closed 28 complaints after preliminary examination, stated the Lokpal data for 2020-21 updated till the end of September.
The Lokpal ordered preliminary inquiry into 13 complaints — 12 by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), it said.
President Ram Nath Kovind had on March 23 last year, administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the chairperson of Lokpal, the top body to inquire and investigate into allegations of corruption against public functionaries.
The Lokpal’s eight members were administered the oath by Justice Ghose on March 27.
However, one of the Lokpal members, Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi, died in May this year. Another member Justice Dilip B Bhosale resigned from the post in January this year.
According to rules, there is a provision for a chairperson and a maximum of eight members in the Lokpal panel.
A total of 1,427 complaints were received by Lokpal during 2019-20, of which 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 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, Lokpal’s data stated.
Of the total complaints, 220 were requests/comments/suggestions, it said.
A total of 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.
Giving details of the pendency, Lokpal data stated 29 cases were pending with the Central Vigilance Commission, 25 for status report and four for inquiry, and four with the Department of Higher Education, three for status report and one for inquiry, and two with the Central Bureau of Investigation for status report.
One complaint was pending with the Railway Board for inquiry, according to the data.
Status report was pending in two cases related to the Culture Ministry, one case each of Ministry of Water Resources, Directorate General of Income Tax, Department of School Education and Literacy, Department of Post and Ministry of Shipping, the data showed.
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