HC expresses ‘displeasure’ over delay in Lokayukta appointment

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court has expressed "displeasure" over the continued delay in appointing the Lokayukta, noting that the statutory mandate remains unfulfilled despite repeated directions and assurances by the state govt.Hearing a public interest litigation, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay observed that as early as June 27, 2023, it had flagged concerns over non-compliance with the law mandating the appointment of the anti-corruption ombudsman. The court noted that "heavy expenditure" was being incurred on the Lokayukta establishment, even as the appointment itself had not been made.The bench further recorded that since then, "repeated orders have been passed," but the state has continued to seek time to update the court on the status of the selection process.In its affidavit dated June 25, 2025, the state govt informed the court that the process of appointing the Lokayukta was "on verge of completion". However, the court noted that the process remains incomplete to date.During the latest hearing, the state's counsel again sought additional time to apprise the court of the current status."While recording our displeasure, we grant two weeks' further time to the state counsel to apprise the court of the present status," the court said in its latest order. The matter is now listed for April 1.Uttarakhand enacted its Lokayukta law in 2011, becoming the first state in the country to introduce a strong anti-corruption framework envisaging an independent body to probe complaints against public officials, including ministers and senior bureaucrats. The law was brought during the tenure of then chief minister BC Khanduri.However, delays in appointing the Lokayukta have repeatedly undermined its effective implementation, even as the institutional framework continues to incur expenditure without a functional head.