Public Institution Under Scrutiny
What is Lokpal?
The Lokpal of India was conceived under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, after ceaseless protests by anti-corruption visionaries like Anna Hazare. It was supposed to be an all-powerful authority, keeping government officials as high as the Prime Minister in check.
Has It Lived Up to Expectations?
The Lokpal of India was to be operational soon after its passage in 2013. However, it was constituted in 2019, nearly six years later. Despite the government blaming "procedural hurdles", the Supreme Court clarified that said hurdles were not insurmountable.
Serious Structural Questions
If that were so, why was there such a delay in its conception? Why is the Prime Minister, who is arguably the position that the Lokpal needs to investigate the most, a key member of the selection committee for the Lokpal council?
Falling Short of Expectations
Since becoming operational in 2019, the Lokpal has received 8,703 complaints, out of which only 24 were even taken up for investigation, and a mere 6 have resulted in prosecution sanction. That's less than 0.07% of the complaints leading to real action.
Failure of Accountability
Perhaps the most serious of Lokpal's failures is the failure to meet its own statutory obligations. Reports show that the Lokpal failed to table annual reports in Parliament for years, with at least one instance of no record of the report being prepared at all.
Breakdown of Oversight
Under the law, such reports are essential for ensuring parliamentary oversight and public accountability. Their absence represents a breakdown in one of the most fundamental safeguards against institutional misuse. The Lokpal has also come under judicial scrutiny in a recent case, where the Delhi High Court found a clear departure from procedure mandated under law.
Misplaced Priorities
After such abhorrent performance, recent reports revealed that the Lokpal floated a tender to purchase seven BMW luxury cars, each costing about ₹70 lakhs, justifying it as a necessary step to strengthen administrative and logistical functions. Even if technically permissible, it reflects a troubling disconnect between institutional purpose and administrative conduct.
Our Experience & Conclusion
We have witnessed in real time how the anti-corruption watchdog has stooped to such levels. An RTI was filed to investigate details; however, it led to nothing due to Section 8 exemptions in the RTI Act. Information is not denied outright, but access to it is cut off at the knees. We have seen this agency fail miserably while continuing to use taxpayers' money, with only a few relatively low-profile actions.