Govt stand on Lokpal appointment is ‘wholly unsatisfactory,’ says Supreme Court
Krishnadas Rajagopal
NEW DELHI,
July 25, 2018 01:50 IST

The court asked the government to file the affidavit in four weeks.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the government’s stand on completing the appointment of a Lokpal, an ombudsman to protect the common man from corruption in public service and power centres, was “wholly unsatisfactory.”
The court was reacting to an affidavit filed by the government, the stated aim of it being to specify the exact time frame by which it would appoint a Lokpal. Instead, the government, represented by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, said it was a “complicated” process.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who filed a contempt petition against the government for not appointing a Lokpal despite an April 2017 judgment by the court, said the apex court should now take over and appoint a Lokpal.
'Govt dragging feet'
“They [the government] are just dragging their feet. The court should start the procedure of appointing a search committee [to shortlist the candidates for Lokpal],” Mr. Bhushan, for NGO Common Cause, submitted.
The judges should “consult among themselves,” he said.
“Let the Supreme Court give names and let the court appoint a Lokpal,” he urged the court.
After a short discussion with Justices R. Banumathi and Navin Sinha on the Bench, Justice Gogoi began to pass a short order, recording that the government affidavit was “wholly unsatisfactory” and the competent authority should file a second affidavit with all the details of what it had done in the appointment process.