Itanagar: Justice (Retd) Prasanta Kumar Deka was on Wednesday sworn in as the new chairperson of the Lokayukta of Arunachal Pradesh in a solemn ceremony held at the Vivekananda Hall of Raj Bhavan, Itanagar.
Retired IAS officer from the state, Sang Phuntsok, also took oath as a member of the Lokayukta on the occasion.
Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik administered the oath of office to both the Chairperson and the member.
The event was also attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy CM Chowna Mein, cabinet ministers, senior officials and dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The governor said the Lokayukta is not only a statutory body but also a “moral guardian entrusted with upholding integrity in public life.”
He urged the new chairperson to play a proactive role in promoting transparency, ensuring accountability, and combating corruption.
Parnaik said that a corruption-free system was the foundation of people’s trust in governance and that the Lokayukta is central to achieving this goal.
Arunachal Pradesh Lokayukta Act was enacted in the year March 4, 2014.
The office of the Lokayukta, however, became functional after the appointment of Justice Prasanta Kumar Saikia on June 27, 2019.
The post of the chairperson remained vacant after his death in April last year, officials said.
With the appointment of Justice Deka and Phuntsok, the state government aims to further strengthen the fight against corruption and reinforce the trust of the people in public institutions.