Corruption complaints pouring in Uttarakhand despite non-existent ‘Lokayukta’
Corruption complaints pouring in Uttarakhand despite non-existent ‘Lokayukta’
Dehradun, March 26
Despite the fact that the post of ‘Lokayukta’ (ombudsman) in Uttarakhand has remained vacant for the past more than 12 years, the ‘Lokayukta’ office continues to receive complaints against public servants. This lends credence to the argument that responsible public servants in the state of the ruling dispensation are showing no interest in the appointment of a ‘Lokayukta’—likely due to the apprehension that such an appointment would lead to action being taken on these complaints. This lack of interest persists despite strict directives issued by both the Supreme Court and the High Court regarding the matter, and even as various senior officials are being imprisoned on charges of corruption, while the government continuously asserts a policy of “zero tolerance.” In the absence of a ‘Lokayukta’, more than ₹19.64 crore has already been spent on the ‘Lokayukta’ office.
Nadeem Uddin, a Right to Information (RTI) activist and resident of Kashipur, had sought information from the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Uttarakhand ‘Lokayukta’ office regarding the complaints received by the office and the expenditure incurred on its operations.
In response, Public Information Officer Pramod Kumar Joshi provided copies of the details regarding the complaints and expenditures via his letter bearing reference number 297, dated March 20, 2026.
Prior to this instance as well, year-wise details regarding pending and received complaints were provided to Nadeem. According to the details made available, a total of 1,732 complaints were pending at the ’Lokayukta’ office as of March 20, 2026.
From November 1, 2013—the date ,the post of ‘Lokayukta’ fell vacant—up until March 20, 2026—the date the information was provided—a total of 1,096 complaints related to corruption have been received.
According to the available information, 118 complaints were received during the period spanning from 2022 to 2025. In the year 2026, the number of complaints received up to the date the information was provided stands at 15.
From November 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014, 422 complaints were received; followed by 181 in 2015, 97 in 2016, 86 in 2017, 54 in 2018, and 67 in 2019. Even during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 24 complaints (petitions) were received, and 22 complaints were received in 2021.
According to the information provided, following the retirement of the Honorable Lokayukta, Justice Madan Mohan Ghildiyal, on October 31, 2013, the matter regarding the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the ‘Lokayukta’, Uttarakhand, remains under process at the level of the State Government.
While hearing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 161/2021 on March 18, a bench of the Uttarakhand High Court comprising Chief Justice Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay expressed displeasure over the failure to appoint a ‘Lokayukta’ despite previous orders from the High Court, granting the government two weeks to submit a status report.
The next hearing has been scheduled for April 1, 2026. Prior to this, through an order dated June 27, 2023, a bench comprising the Chief Justice, Justice Vipin Sanghi, and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal had directed the government to complete the process of appointing a ‘Lokayukta’ within a maximum period of six weeks.
This order, while citing an affidavit submitted on behalf of the government by Additional Secretary Lalit Mohan Rayal, noted that an expenditure of ₹29,73,99,044 had been incurred on the Lokayukta institution up to the financial year 2022-23. Furthermore, the order noted that in PIL No. 57/2016 (Ashwini Kumar vs. State of Uttarakhand) before the Supreme Court, the government had given an assurance regarding the appointment of a ‘Lokayukta’—an assurance that has not been fulfilled. As noted in the Uttarakhand High Court’s order dated June 27, 2023—and based on information provided to Advocate Nadeem up to the date of disclosure—a total sum of Rs. 19,64,51,724 was expended during the years 2014-15 through 2025-26 (up to March 20, 2026), a period during which the office of the ‘Lokayukta’ remained vacant.
