Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to bring Chief Minister office (CMO) under the jurisdiction of Lokayukta. The decision was taken in a state cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, the probe cannot be conducted on a sitting CM.
Ahead of the upcoming 2019 general assembly elections, the Maharashtra cabinet took this notable decision where the CM can be investigated under the concerned authority. This has been done to make the system more transparent. Lokayukta in the state can investigate any matter if the complaint or the case is related to corruption.
After the meeting, Maharashtra Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan said, “Along with the Chief Minister, ministers and opposition leaders will also come under Lokayukta. This is a major step to ensure corruption-free governance.”
Social Activist Anna Hazare and other activists were demanding the same for a long time. According to sources, the government took this decision amid the pressure from the veteran activist.
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Maharashtra was the first state, which introduced the Lokayukta and sub-Lokayukta Act in 1971. However, the same exempted the CM from the investigation. In the meeting, another decision was taken by the state cabinet for setting up additional 5,625 under CCTV Surveillance project and allocated ₹323 crore for the same.