Shillong, Nov. 3: The Opposition today urged the Meghalaya government to appoint a Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta, which the state is still bereft of even after nine years have passed since a legislation to set up the ombudsman.

“I wish to draw your attention to the question of appointment of Meghalaya State Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta, the law for which has already been notified since February 2002, while the rules were approved in 2007,” Opposition leader Conrad K. Sangma, in his letter to chief minister Mukul Sangma, said.

The NCP legislator said a consultative committee, for the purpose of making a recommendation for eligible candidates, was constituted in June this year.

“It is, however, regretted that the state government has not appointed a Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta according to the provisions of the law. The matter is very important and very much in the interests of the people,” Conrad said.

He, therefore, asked the government to immediately appoint the Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta as they were already functioning in other states.

The Opposition leader asked the chief minister to appoint information commissioners in other parts of the state to facilitate the effective use of the RTI Act, 2005.

The committee, which selected the state chief information commissioner, had on March 23 agreed to appoint information commissioners to cover other regions of the state, Conrad said.

“The government has so far not acted on the matter, and it will be appreciated if immediate action is taken to appoint information commissioners, according to the rules,” he said.

The government had appointed former IAS officer Chester D. Kynjing as the chief information commissioner after the first chief information commissioner, G.P. Wahlang, also a former IAS officer, completed his five-year tenure in March this year.