Patna, April 30: The state cabinet today approved the draft for Bihar Lokayukta (Investigation) Rules 2013, almost one-and-a-half years after the gazette notification of the Bihar Lokayukta Act, 2011, was issued.

The draft rules focus on the conduct of investigation and procedures to be followed under the act.

“The cabinet gave its nod to the draft proposal on how to carry out investigations and other related rules in this regard,” secretary, cabinet coordination, Brajesh Mehrotra said.

The draft rules would be circulated among the departments concerned and notified in the gazette after getting their approval, Mehrotra added.

The proposed rules enumerate the procedure to be followed for: filing a complaint case before the Lokayukta, the format of affidavit, registration norms, carrying out investigation and imposing penalty, conducting and disposal of cases, issuance of notice, presentation of documentation, attachment of property etc.

The cabinet decision follows a recent Patna High Court directive to the state government to file its reply for framing rules for the implementation of the 2011 act.

On April 17, the division bench of Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Shivaji Pandey issued the directive on a PIL filed by Mithilesh Kumar Singh, seeking direction to the government to frame the rules to give effect to the provisions of the Lokayukta act.

Dinu Kumar, the counsel for the petitioner, had submitted before the court that the act, notified in the gazette of December 23, 2011, had not been implemented properly which has affected the functioning of the ombudsman’s office.

Nitish Kumar has harped on the inclusion of bringing the chief minister’s post under the ambit of Lokayukta. But the absence of the rules has meant that the ombudsman has not been able to start proper functioning.

The Lokayukta has not been able to function properly in the state as neither a prosecution director has been appointed nor has an investigation wing been constituted. The investigation wing would conduct search, seizures and arrest those charged with corruption before the Lokayukta.

In another important decision, the cabinet increased the duty allowance for home guard jawans from Rs 200 per day to Rs 300.