Crucial role of Ombudsman

15/07/2019

God created the world in six days. On the seventh day, he rested. On the eighth day, he started getting complaints. And it hasn't stopped since.An ombudsman is an official who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or a violation of rights. Despite being aware of the pendency of numerous complaints about irregularities in the functioning of the Urban Local Bodies, the State Govern-ment has failed to appoint Municipal Ombudsman even nine months after the conclusion of Urban Local Bodies elections. Astonishingly, no recommendation has so far been made by the Selection Committee to the Governor for making this important institution functional. While Ombudsman for Panchayats has started functioning to achieve the mandate of the law enacted in 2014 and even recently briefed Governor Satya Pal Malik about the functioning of grass root democratic institutions in the rural areas of the State, such an arrangement to ensure transparency in the functioning of the Urban Local Bodies has not been made till date.
It is a matter of concern that Housing and Urban Development Department has not projected before the Government the urgency of making institution of Ombudsman functional even nine months after the conclusion of elections to Urban Local Bodies. The dilly-dallying approach is notwithstanding the fact that Governor has on numerous occasions emphasized the crucial role of Ombudsman in making Urban Local Bodies accountable and function in a fair and transparent manner. Had the Municipal Ombudsman been appointed soon after the conclusion of elections to Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees and Municipal Councils in the month of October last year, all the complaints about irregularities and illegal appointments etc, which are pending for disposal during the past many years, would have been dealt with and disposed-off in a time bound manner. The importance of institution of Municipal Ombudsman can be gauged from the fact that under the Act the Ombudsman has been given the powers to investigate into any allegation contained in a complaint or on reference from the Government; enquire into any complaint in which corruption or maladministration of a public servant or a Municipality is alleged; pass an order on the allegation where the irregularity involves a criminal offence committed by a public servant, causes loss or inconvenience to a citizen; direct the Municipality to give compensation and to reimburse the loss from the person responsible for the irregularity. Moreover, the Ombudsman can pass orders in the cases where the irregularity involves loss or waste or misuse of the fund of the Municipality, realize such loss from those who are responsible for such irregularity and where the irregularity is due to omission or inaction, cause to rectify the mistake.

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