 "Odisha Congress writes to Naveen Patnaik, calls for Lokayukta to end corruption")
Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra of the Congress on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to implement the Odisha Lokayukta Act for ending corruption at the block level.
Mishra said this while reacting to Patnaik’s recent direction to the district collectors to stop corruption. In a letter to the chief minister, Mishra said he welcomes the move against corruption, if Patnaik is really serious about it.
“To convince people that you are really serious, you should take immediate steps for enforcing the Odisha Lokayukta Act, which has already received the assent of the President and is awaiting government notification for implementation,” the letter said.
Noting that corruption is rampant at all 314 blocks of the state, Mishra said he hopes for early implementation of the legislation.
“So long the step is not taken, there is every reason for people to think that your call for abolition of corruption is a political slogan and lacks political will,” he said.
Earlier Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan had mocked Patnaik’s whip on corrupt commission payment practices for government works at block level.
“How come the chief minister realised about the corrupt system in the government after 17 years of rule?” Pradhan had asked.
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