Warn Dikshit against making promises she can’t keep: Lokayukta to President

The Lokayukta said Dikshit promised that so many flats were ready for handing over to the urban poor “knowing fully well that they were not ready”.

Dikshit’s counsel Mahmood Pracha later countered that the Lokayukta had pointed out neither corruption nor violation of any code of conduct on the Chief Minister’s part— two issues that essentially formed the original complaint.

But the Lokayukta seemed to dwell more on ethics as he recommended the President to “administer a caution to the Chief Minister to be careful in publication of her messages in future”.

As per the law that regulates the Lokayukta,recommendations for action against a Cabinet minister-ranked public functionary have to be made to the President.

Slamming Dikshit for misrepresenting facts,he said people should “stand up against unethical practices” and build a public opinion to ensure that functionaries adhere to “high standards of integrity and conduct.”

The Lokayukta’s order came after he investigated a complaint in 2009 by advocate Sunita Bhardwaj that Dikshit misused Rs 3.5 crore received from the Centre under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for Rajiv Awas Yojana for personal advertisements.

Dikshit’s counsel,however,pointed out the Lokayukta had in fact given a clean chit to Dikshit on the two counts that formed the basis of both the original complaint and its amended version.

The main accusation,that Dikshit promised 60,000 flats knowing that they aren’t ready,fell flat,Dikshit’s counsel said. He produced documents showing that all advertisements clearly specified the flats will be constructed in future.

Pracha said his client will appeal against the order. “We can either approach the High Court or even petition the President. We haven’t yet decided which course to take,” he said.