Anna Hazare welcomes Maharashtra Lokayukta law, says it will prove revolutionary against graft

Social activist Anna Hazare on Monday said the proposed Lokayukta Act in Maharashtra on lines of Centre's Lokpal legislation will be a "revolutionary" tool to fight against corruption. Hazare, who has been demanding the state government bring the Lokayukta law, congratulated and thanked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Fadanvis for the decision to accept the draft (to prepare the new Lokayukta law).

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur on Sunday, Fadnavis announced the state will have a Lokayukta law on the lines of the Lokpal legislation which will also bring the chief minister and the council of ministers under its ambit. He had said a bill in this regard will be introduced.

"I thanked CM Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis for deciding to bring the Lokayukta Law. I told them this Act will prove revolutionary to fight against corruption in the state," said Hazare. The 85-year-old anti-corruption crusader said he had held several agitations and indefinite hunger strikes seeking the Lokayukta Act.

"In 2018, I sat on a hunger strike in Ramleela Maidan in Delhi. The then CM Fadnavis had promised to enact the (Lokayukta) act in the state but later that promise was not kept. Besides the previous Fadnavis-led government, I had also asked its successor Uddhav Thackeray-led government to introduce this law but they also didn't do anything," Hazare told reporters at Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district.

This decision of the Shinde-Fadnavis government is a good and positive thing from the people's point of view, he said. "Today, people might not understand the importance of this law but once it comes into force, this law will prove revolutionary as Lokayukta has powers to take action against the chief minister and other ministers if the evidence of corruption is tabled before him," he added. Hazare said he was willing to tour the state to create awareness about the Lokayukta Act and its powers. "People mocked me when a demand for RTI (Right To Information Act) was raised, but see today....," he said.

A panel headed by Hazare was formed when the BJP-Shiv Sena government was in power (from 2014-19) in Maharashtra.

"The report submitted by the committee was accepted by the government. Recommendations of the panel led by Anna Hazare have been accepted completely," Fadnavis had said.

He also said the existing Lokayukta law did not include the anti-corruption Act. "So the anti-corruption act has been made part of this act (new law). Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the decision was taken in the interest of the people of the state. “The draft to prepare the new Lokayukta law was passed by the Cabinet and we will be tabling it before the legislature. For the first time, the chief minister and a council of ministers have been brought under the ambit of Lokayukta,” he said.