Bhubaneswar: Former Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court Ajit Singh will be the first Lokayukta of Odisha, the state which happens to be the first state in the country to pass the Lokayukta Bill in the assembly in 2014.
Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal yesterday approved Singh’s name as the new Lokayukta following a recommendation for the same by a seven-member search committee chaired by Justice Amitava Roy. The committee held a meeting in the presence of CM Naveen Patnaik on Justice Singh’s appointment on February 12.
Born on September 6, 1956, Justice Singh has practiced in civil, criminal and constitutional sides in the High court of Madhya Pradesh.
Notably, on July 10 last year the Supreme Court had directed the state government to complete the process for appointment of the Lokayukta by October 10, after it made inordinate delay in implementing Lokayut Bill.
The search committee had suggested five names for the post of the Lokayukta chairperson and three names each for the five members in its report to the Chief Minister-led panel on January 9.
The office of the Lokayukta will start functioning from April 8 this year.
Ms Kalinga