Vacancy Crisis: Jharkhand's Lokayukta Appointment Stalled

Jharkhand's government informs the court that the Lokayukta appointment will be sent to the governor within a week. The state selection committee's candidate list for other posts was returned by the governor for reconsideration. Vacant posts include the Lokayukta and chiefs of constitutional bodies, impacting citizens adversely.

The Jharkhand High Court was informed on Monday by the state government that the nominee for Lokayukta will be forwarded to the governor's office for approval within a week from April 13.

A division bench, including Chief Justice MS Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar, is examining a public interest litigation initiated by Raj Kumar. The case highlights vacant positions in constitutional offices, unfilled for years, hindering public service.

While the selection committee's recommendations for chief information commissioner and commissioners were returned for further scrutiny, the lack of appointments affects over 30,000 pending RTI applications, escalating public grievances.

(With inputs from agencies.)