Teeth to Lokayukta: CM non-committal

YADGIR: Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda said on Sunday that State Government would decide on giving more power to Lokayukta after studying the Lokpal Bill taken up by Parliament.Gowda told press persons here on Sunday that his government and the BJP were committed to eradicate corruption for which the party supported the agitation by social activist Anna Hazare.He said he had to study the contents of the Lokpal Bill taken up by Parliament and what sort of power it had suggested for Lokayukta of states.He said that the Lokpal legislation being considered by the Union Government should not have overriding.“The legislation should be enacted in consultation with state governments.It should not give scope for widening the relationship between the Union Government and the State Governments,” he said.When asked about whether his government would implement the report submitted by the former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, the chief minister said that he had constituted a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary to the State Government and it had been asked to submit its report to the Government.Gowda said that the report indicted not only politicians but also about 700 officials.“We have to study the report before arriving at a conclusion,” he said.He hinted that the action to be taken by the government on Lokayukta report would depend on the report of the committee.He also hinted that he would summon the legislature session only after the receipt of the report of the committee.