Set up Lokayukta immediately, Ramadoss tells TN government

Chennai, March 24 (IANS) PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday demanded that Tamil Nadu's AIADMK government set up anti-corruption body Lokayukta immediately.

Citing the Supreme Court's direction to Chief Secretaries of 12 states - including Tamil Nadu - to explain the reasons for not setting up Lokayuktam, he said the state government should pass the necessary law immediately.

The former Union Minister said the state government need not wait for the Central government amend the Lokpal Act to set up Lokayukta as there is no connection between the two.

On March 23, the Supreme Court sought an explanation from 11 states - Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Puducherry - as to why they have not appointed any Lokayukta or Uplokayukta.

The court order came on a petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader and top court lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking appoint of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in the states.