Mizoram, which was behind in catching up on the Lokayukta train with the rest of the nation, appointed its first chairman on Monday.
Mizoram governor Jagdish Mukhi formally appointed C. Lalsawta, a retired IAS officer as the state’s first chairman of the Lokayukta office.
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The swearing-in ceremony took place in the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan here on Monday.
The oath of office of the Lokayukta chairman was administered by the governor while the proceedings of the swearing-in ceremony were taken up by chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo.
C. Lalsawta (63) has served the government for more than 40 years.
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Before joining as the IAS in 1981, he served as a member of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service for 2 years.
Lalsawta reached the IAS apex scale as chief of the Vigilance Organization in the rank of chief secretary/ secretary to the government of India and retired in 2015.
During his career as an IAS officer, he was given assignments (such as DC and District Magistrate, cane commissioner and divisional commissioner) that required him to exercise statutory powers independently and pass orders in quasi-judicial proceedings.
While the Lokayukta was legislated in the Mizoram Assembly session in 2014, various delays stopped the state from setting up office.
In November last year, allegations were made against the former ruling party by the MNF legal board citing corruption as the reason for delay.
The Congress spokesperson had responded to the allegations made by the MNF legal board saying funds of Rs. 159.34 were sanctioned for the bill which was passed at the Assembly House under the name of The Mizoram Lokayukta Act, 2014.
However, the amount was unused and surrendered at the end of the year.
There has been no loss of money, as the money was surrendered and included in the next year’s budget, he said.
After MNF came to power, Lokayukta has been a brimming topic as it was a chief agenda in the poll campaigns in 2018.
Earlier, law minister TJ Lalnuntluanga had assured of a quick approval and establishment of the Lokayukta office.
The Lokayukta, which is mainly set up for public grievance of corruption allegations, has been introduced in most states of India but is yet to be instituted in states and union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, Telangana and Tripura.