By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Nainital, 15 May: The Uttarakhand High Court has taken a serious view of the continued delay in the appointment of a Lokayukta in the state and today it directed the Chief Secretary to ensure that a meeting of the selection committee is held in the first week of June and that a detailed progress report is submitted before the court by 16 June. During the hearing held today, the division bench headed by the Chief Justice made sharp observations over the slow pace of the appointment process and repeated requests by the state government for additional time.
The matter came up for hearing today before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Haldwani resident Ravi Shankar Joshi regarding the prolonged vacancy in the office of the Lokayukta in Uttarakhand.
During the hearing, the court referred to its earlier directions and asked the government what concrete progress had been made in compliance with previous orders. In response, the Advocate General informed the bench that action regarding the Lokayukta appointment process is underway, but the process is moving slowly and the government requires additional time to complete the exercise.
The bench expressed displeasure over the delay and asked the government to explain within half an hour why the court’s directions in this regard have still not been complied with. The court also sought clarification regarding the next meeting of the committee responsible for the Lokayukta appointment process.
When the matter was taken up again after half an hour, the government informed the court that the first meeting of the search committee for the Lokayukta appointment is likely to be held in the first week of June. Taking note of the government’s submission, the court fixed 16 June as the next date of hearing and directed that all the decisions taken by the search committee be placed before the bench by then.
The government’s response was submitted in form of an affidavit filed on behalf of Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan stated that the process for constituting the search committee is currently underway, but considering the complexity and wide scope of the exercise, more time may be required for the appointment of the Lokayukta and its members. The government accordingly sought additional time from the court.
The affidavit further states that a meeting of the selection committee had earlier been proposed for 3 April, 2026, but could not take place due to unavoidable circumstances and lack of quorum. Subsequently, a meeting of the selection committee was held on 29 April, 2026 under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, in which the Speaker of the Assembly, a sitting judge and a retired judge participated. However, the Leader of the Opposition could not attend the meeting due to unavoidable reasons.
According to the affidavit, discussions were held during the meeting regarding the constitution of the search committee for selection of the Lokayukta. It was also decided that a panel of retired judges, IAS and IPS officers would be prepared. In addition, names of experts from the fields of finance, insurance, banking, law and management would also be presented in the next meeting.
The state government also informed the court that nine employees are currently working in the Lokayukta office. Owing to earlier directions of the court, the government has been facing difficulty in releasing salaries and meeting operational expenses. Salaries of employees, along with electricity, water and telephone bills, have reportedly remained unpaid since January 2026. The government sought permission from the court for regular payment of salaries and other expenses related to the functioning of the Lokayukta office.
It may be recalled that during earlier hearings, the High Court had already expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of the appointment process. The bench had observed that even a year ago the government had sought time for appointment of the Lokayukta, but despite repeated assurances the post continued to remain vacant. Earlier, the state government had sought six months’ time to complete the appointment process, but the court had granted only three months and directed the government to proceed expeditiously.
The court had also taken serious note on 13 May over the failure to convene a meeting of the search committee and directed the government to file its response within 24 hours and the date of hearing was fixed for today.
It may be recalled that the PIL filed by Ravi Shankar Joshi states that the post of Lokayukta has remained vacant in the state since 2013 despite annual expenditure of nearly Rs 2 crores to Rs 3 crores on the institution. The petition further contends that in the absence of a Lokayukta, there is no independent and effective autonomous mechanism in the state for investigating allegations of corruption.
The petitioner has also argued that all existing investigative agencies in the state function under government control and remain subject to political oversight, raising concerns regarding the independence and impartiality of investigations. The plea further states that even the Vigilance Department, which is projected as an independent investigating agency, functions as part of the police system and remains under the control of the Police Headquarters, Vigilance Department and the Chief Minister’s Office.
The petition has urged the court to direct the state government to fill the vacant Lokayukta post at the earliest so that corruption-related complaints can be investigated independently and transparently. It has also been argued that an effective Lokayukta institution would reduce the burden on courts by dealing with corruption-related matters through an autonomous mechanism.
