After due consultations and fulfillment of judicious  selection procedures,  Prof Jagdish Mukhi, the Governor of Mizoram has formally appointed Pu C. Lalsawta, a retired IAS Officer as the first Chairman of the state's Lokayukta Office. The swearing in Ceremony was taking place in the Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan at 4:00 PM, today.   

The Oath of Office  of the Chairman, Lokayukta was administered by the Governor while  the proceeding of swearing in was taken up Chief Secretary Pu Lalnunmawia Chuaungo.  Chief Minister Pu Zoramthanga, Speaker  Pu Lalrinliana Sailo, the Cabinet Ministers, the Ministers, the MLAs and other top officials were also attending  the swearing ceremony.

Shri  C. Lalsawta (63) had been in government  service  for more than 40 years. Before he joined the IAS in 1981, he served as a member of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service for nearly 2 years. He also worked as LDC while he was a part-time college student. He reached the IAS Apex Scale as Chief of Vigilance Organization in the rank of Chief Secretary/ Secretary to Govt. of India and retired in 2015.

He attended training courses in many top-notched institutions such as Institute of Public Enterprises in Hyderabad, Xavier’s Labour Relations Institute in Jamshedpur, National Institute of Rural Development in Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, Administrative Staff College of India in Hyderabad, Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, National Institute of Financial Management in Faridabad etc.

He also undertook Advanced Studies in Public Administration in Maxwell School of Public Administration, Syracuse University, USA. He also attended an International Training Programme in Financial Management in UN sponsored Institute of Public Enterprises, Ljubljana, Slovenia, and also a course in PPP in Infrastructure Development in Harvard University, Cambridge etc.

During his long career in the IAS, he was given such assignments (as DC & District Magistrate, Cane Commissioner, and Divisional Commissioner etc.)  that required him to exercise statutory powers independently and pass orders in quasi-judicial proceedings. As Commissioner of various Divisions for more than 10 years, he supervised the magistracy and policing, controlling the DMs and SPs through the DIGs etc. He presided over Appellate Courts and Revision Courts in Revenue and Criminal cases and also had to decide disciplinary cases in Departmental Proceedings etc. He also supervised and coordinated the Regional Heads of Development and Regulatory Departments within the territorial jurisdictions. He also functioned as Chairman of various statutory bodies and as Vice Chancellor of 2 Universities.

Ever since his  training in the IA&AS Staff College, Shimla, his guiding principle has been the canon/ standard of financial propriety that every Government servant should exercise the same vigilance in respect of expenditure incurred from public moneys as a person of ordinary prudence would exercise in respect of the expenditure of his own money. His exposure to the Indian Audit & Accounts Service, his experiences as Administrator of Cooperative Bank and as Director of Rural Bank, his trainings in Financial Managements and experience as Principal Secretary of Finance Department imbibe in him the importance of effective spending and proper accounting of expenditures.  

As Principal Secretary and Chief of Vigilance Organization in Bihar, he supervised and guided Agencies under him such as (1) Vigilance Investigation Bureau headed by Director General/ADG, (2) Special Vigilance Unit headed by Inspector General, and (3) Technical Evaluation Cell headed by the E-in-C. He also had to monitor the functioning of Chief Vigilance Officers of all the Departments and Vigilance Flying Squads of all the Districts. He also had monthly review with the Chief Secretary, the progress of Departmental Proceedings.

He also had to review the performance of Special Public Prosecutors and monitor the progress of prosecution cases filed in Vigilance & Special Courts. In course of implementing Prevention of Corruption Act and Special Courts Act, he had to pass orders for confiscation of illegally acquired properties and coordinated prosecutions. He however took care that honest public servants and dynamic officers who took bold decisions in good faith are not harassed unnecessarily or prosecuted without evidence of criminal misconducteven if the decisions may later turn out to be wrong decisions.

During his service in Bihar/Jharkhand/Mizoram, he acquired a reputation for honestly, sincerity and probity in public life. He is a stickler to rules and regulations and always tries to adhere to norms. He is a strong believer in the Principle of Natural Justice and fair play.  It is  also learnt that the Bihar Government has just appointed Pu C. Lalsawta as Administrative Member of The Real Estate Appellate Tribunal with the same salary he drew at the time of his retirement.