Maha Cabinet Accepts Anna Hazare Panel Report, Will Table Bill To Bring CM Under Lokayukta: Fadnavis

New Delhi: The Maharashtra government has approved the Anna Hazare Committee report of introducing Lokayukta in Maharashtra on the lines of Lokpal, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the winter session of the state legislature, he said a bill in this regard will be introduced.

“CM and the cabinet will be brought under the ambit of the Lokayukta. Anti-Corruption Act will be made a part of this law, and the Lokayukta will have a team of five people including retired judges,” Fadnavis said.

Today in the cabinet meeting, we have taken important decisions. We have approved the Anna Hazare Committee report of introducing Lokayukta in Maharashtra on the lines of Lokpal. A Bill will be brought in this session: Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/xj1QAf52Ej

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2022

“We will run the government with complete transparency. We will make Maharashtra corruption free, that’s why we have decided to bring Lokayukta law into the state,” said CM Eknath Shinde.

Notably, the Chief Minister has given assent to the new Lokayukta Act.

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For the first time in the state, the government is going to bring the Chief Minister under the ambit of the Lokayukta. The Cabinet will also come to the Lokayukta. Fadnavis informed that Anti-Corruption Act has been made part of Lokayukta.

“Anna Hazare had been consistently demanding that the Lokpal Bill should be enacted in Maharashtra the way the Lokpal Bill was enacted at the Centre. We are going to bring Lokayukta in Maharashtra. The bill will be presented in this session. Work will be done to bring the Chief Minister under the purview of Lokayukta,” Fadnavis said.

“Regarding the (Maharashtra-Karnataka) border dispute, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has mediated on our request and for the first time, it has been taken seriously. We firmly stand with the border residents. No one should do politics on it, it’s a matter of our pride,” Shinde further said.