Odisha govt constitutes search committee to appoint Lokayukta

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government hasconstituted a seven-member search committee headed by Justice Amitabh Ray forthe appointment of Lokayukta in the state.

The committee will have former Odisha DGP Gopal Nanda, ex-IAS officer Sanjiv Hota, former IAS officer Dr RN Bohidar, Dr Sidhu Bhusan Samal, Prof Snigdha Patnaik of XIMB and Vice Chancellor of National Law University, Bangalore, Dr Venkata Rao Rambhatla as members.

The selection committee of the Lokayuktaunder the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Orissa High Court Chief Justice, Justice KS Jhaveri set up the search committee on Monday.

Speaker of the Assembly Pradip Amar,leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Narasingh Mishra and former Supreme Court Judge AK Patnaik were also present in the meeting.

The search committee is mandated to recommend names for Lokayukta chairperson and its member within one month, said sources.

Notably, the Lokayukta Bill was passed in the Odisha Assembly on February 14, 2014.