Question

Which Lokayukta of the following in Uttar Pradesh has served the office, for maximum period of time?
1. Justice Mirza Mohd. Murtala Hussain
2. Justice Kailash Nath Goyal
3. Justice N.K. Mehrotra
4. Justice Sudhir Chandra Verma

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : Justice N.K. Mehrotra

The Correct Answer is Justice N.K. Mehrotra.

• The Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta Act named former Lokayukta N.K. Mehrotra on March 16, 2006.
• Following the expiration of his term on March 15, 2012, the Uttar Pradesh government released an ordinance on the same day and another on March 18 to extend the duration from six to eight years, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
• The state government cabinet decided on July 31, 2012, to exclude the office of the Lokayukta from the RTI Act of 2005, citing the need for confidentiality while investigating corruption allegations.
• N.K. Mehrotra was the country's longest-serving Lokayukta, having held the role for nine years.
• The Supreme Court, invoking its constitutional authority, named a new Supreme Court justice on December 16, 2015.
• Invoking its constitutional powers, the Supreme Court named justice Virendra Singh as the new Lokayukta on December 16, 2015, while expressing deep regret for the constitutional authorities' failure to comply with the court's order.

• The Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta is the Indian state's anti-corruption ombudsman. The Lokayukta Act of 1975 created the role of Lokayukta.
• After the state government failed to recommend a new Lokayukta, the Supreme Court of India recalled its previous order on January 28, 2016, and named a new one.