In a significant development for Odisha’s fight against corruption, the long-stalled process to appoint a new Lokayukta has officially begun.
The state government has taken a decisive step by reconstituting the selection committee and nominating former Supreme Court Chief Justice Gopal Ballav Pattanaik as one of its members.
The posts of Lokayukta Chairperson and members have remained vacant since August 7, 2024, when the last acting Chairperson and member, R.P. Sharma, retired. For nearly two years the state’s highest anti-corruption body has been without leadership, raising concerns about delayed investigations and weakened oversight.
According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department on August 19, Justice Gopal Ballav Pattanaik has been appointed to the selection committee under Section 4(1)(e) of the Odisha Lokayukta Act, 2014. The order was signed by Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar Vashishth.
The move follows a high-level meeting held recently at the State Guest House in Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik, and Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy were present. The meeting discussed the urgent need to fill the vacant positions, after which the government forwarded its recommendations to the Governor.
With Justice Pattanaik now on the selection committee, the process of recommending names for the Chairperson and members is expected to gather momentum. Stakeholders across the political spectrum have welcomed the development, viewing it as a long-overdue step toward restoring the credibility and functioning of the Lokayukta.
Odisha now waits to see how quickly the selection committee completes its task and brings a fully functional anti-corruption watchdog back into action.
