THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is alleged that the Lokayukta will be reduced to the level of the Judicial Commission with the passage of the Bill amending the law so that a special committee comprising of rulers can review the orders issued by the Lokayukta judges. The Government can either accept or reject the recommendations of the Judicial Commission. The bills to replace the lapsed ordinances will be introduced in the assembly today. The provision in the lapsed ordinance is that the Chief Minister and the Governor can review the order issued by the Lokayukta judges.

As per the Lokayukta Amendment Bill, a committee of the Chief Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and the Law and Revenue Ministers or the Assembly will be able to review the Lokayukta verdict. The CPI's proposal in this regard will be adopted as an official amendment and included in the bill. The new amendment will take away Section 14 of the Kerala Lokayukta Act, under which a public servant is required to vacate the office immediately if indicted by Lokayukta. It has been criticized that the amendment is not in line with the government's policy of zero tolerance toward corruption.

The amendment proposes a review by a special committee even while Lokayukta orders can currently be challenged before a division bench of the High Court. Meanwhile, legal sources think that an amendment to file an appeal against the order in the Lokayukta Division Bench itself was appropriate. However, the government argues that the provision that the Lokayukta cannot disqualify constitutional systems is being waived and there is no such law anywhere in the world.