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Ombudsman for Local Governments in the Indian state of Kerala is an independent quasi judicial authority which investigates the complaints against the local governments of Kerala as well as the functionaries working under them. The Ombudsman functions at the State level with its headquarters in the State's Capital. Kerala is the only State in India that has such an institution to oversee the functioning of Local Self Government Institutions. A former judge of a High Court can be appointed as Ombudsman. Local Government Ombudsman in Kerala has been modelled in the pattern of Local Government Ombudsman, United Kingdom.But it has been endowed with the powers of punishment.
Ombudsman is a Swedish word, which means citizen's defender It is essentially a Scandinavian institution through which administrative actions are overseen by an independent authority to contain abuse of discretion, mal-administration etc. [1]
The objectives of Ombudsman for Local Governments are to deal with corruption and mal-administration in local governments in Kerala. Ombudsman can conduct investigation and or enquiry in respect of any action involving corruption or maladministration or irregularities in the discharge of administrative functions by Local Self Government Institutions or by an employee or an officer working under the Local Self Government Institution or by an employee or an officer working in any office or institutions transferred to such Local Self Govt. Institution or by any elected Member of the Local Self Govt. Institutions including its president or Chairperson and for the disposal of any complaint relating to such action in accordance with the provisions of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. The Ombudsman can look into instances of favouritism, nepotism, lack of integrity, excessive action, inaction, abuse of position, etc. on the part of officials and elected representatives of all local governments (Corporations, Municipalities, and Panchayaths of all three levels) in Kerala.
Ombudsman can even register cases suo moto if instances of the above kind come to his notice. His sittings can be anywhere in the State and at his discretion. He is not fully bound by the rigid provisions of the Indian Evidence Act and the Procedure Codes. Advocates can appear in the cases before the Ombudsman only if specifically permitted to do so for stated reasons. These provisions make the functioning of the Institution very flexible and enables conduct of cases fast and inexpensive. At present sittings of Ombudsman are held at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode. Occasionally sittings are also held at other places like Kannoor, Palakkad, etc. also.
The Institution started functioning in the year 2000 as a 7-member body with a Retd. Judge of the High Court as its Chairman. The successor government changed the constitution and made it a single member body through an amendment of the Panchayath Raj Act in the year 2001. During the preceding 3 years the office was held by Mr. Justice T.K. Chandrasekhar Das and before that by Mr. Justice K.P. Radhakrishna Menon. The Chairman of the 7 member body which was functional in the year 2000 was Mr. Justice P.A. Mohamed. All of them have rendered exemplary service to the institution. With effect from 17-3-2008 the office of Ombudsman is held by Mr. Justice M.R. Hariharan Nair, a former Judge of the High Court of Kerala and his vibrancy is evident from the newspaper reports on his actions (See the inks below). His appointment was for a term of 3 years which ended on 16-3-2011.
Justice M N Krishnan Archived 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine , who served as the High Court Judge from 28 October 2004 to 10 February 2011, was served the position of Ombudsman for Local Governments in Kerala from 20 April 2011 to March 2014.
Justice ML Joseph Francis former high court Judge joined as Ombudsman from 6 August 2014.
Justice KK Denesan took charge as Ombudsman from 22 December 2017.
Total number of cases considered and disposed in the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, taken from the Annual report is given below. [2] The annual report includes an appendix containing summary of proceedings of a few important cases handled during the year.
| Sl No | Camp Sitting | No of cases considered | No of cases disposed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thiruvananthapuram | 309 | 221 |
| 2 | Pathanamthitta | 61 | 53 |
| 3 | Kottayam | 41 | 33 |
| 4 | Eranakulam | 436 | 310 |
| 5 | Kozhikode | 354 | 304 |
| TOTAL | 1201 | 921 | |
The total number of cases disposed on admission is 232 and hence the total number of cases disposed of during the financial year is 232 + 921 = 1151. Among these 1153 disposals, 860 cases were filed during the year and others were old cases. As well, 23 cases were referred to Vigilance and Anti- Corruption Bureau for detailed enquiry.
On institutionalizing the Ombudsman system in other state, the Second Administrative Commission Report Vol 6 (page 99) on Local Governance says as follows :-
"..... there is need for institutionalising a grievance redressal mechanism which would address complaints regarding elected functionaries and officials of the local bodies. This would provide a platform to the citizens for voicing their complaints and also bring out the deficiencies in the system for suitable remedial action. With increased devolution to the local government institutions, a plethora of developmental schemes will be implemented at the grass roots level. On an average, a Panchayat could be handling a crore worth of programmes every year. Such a large size of public funds increases public expectations. It also gives rise to concerns that decentralisation without proper safeguards may increase corruption, particularly if the process is not simultaneously accompanied by the creation of suitable accountability mechanisms similar to those available at the Union and State Government levels. The Commission in its Fourth Report on "Ethics in Governance" considered this issue. It was of the view that a local body Ombudsman should be constituted for a group of districts to look into complaints of corruption and maladministration against functionaries of local bodies, both elected members and officials. For this, the term 'Public Servant' should be defined appropriately in the respective State legislations. The Ombudsman should have the authority to investigate cases and submit report to competent authorities for taking action. Such competent authorities should normally take action as recommended. In case of disagreement, reasons must be recorded in writing and be placed in the public domain. These would require amendments in the respective State Panchayat Acts and the Urban Local Bodies Acts to include provisions pertaining to the local body Ombudsman". [3]
The European Ombudsman is an inter-institutional body of the European Union that holds the institutions, bodies and agencies of the EU to account, and promotes good administration. The Ombudsman helps people, businesses and organisations facing problems with the EU administration by investigating complaints, as well as by proactively looking into broader systemic issues. The current Ombudsman is Emily O'Reilly.
Parliamentary Ombudsman is the name of the principal ombudsman institutions in Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In each case, the terms refer both to the office of the parliamentary ombudsman and to an individual ombudsman.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO), legally the Commission for Local Administration in England and formerly known as the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), investigates complaints from members of the public about councils and some other some other authorities and organisations providing public services in England. It also investigates complaints about registered adult social care providers. It is the last stage of the complaints process, for people who have given the council or provider opportunity to resolve the issue first. It is a free service. Similar duties are carried out by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and the Northern Ireland Ombudsman. The current (interim) Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is Paul Najsarek, whose appoinment commenced on 1 April 2023.
The Office of Ombudsman is a Hong Kong statutory authority, established on 1 March 1989, charged with ensuring that Hong Kong is served by a fair and efficient public administration that is committed to accountable, openness and quality of services. It operates mainly by investigating and giving recommendations to government departments.
A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or body of ombudsman who represents the public interest in the Republic of India. The current Chairperson of Lokpal is Pradip Kumar Mohanty. The Lokpal has jurisdiction over central government to inquire into allegations of corruption against its public functionaries and for matters connected to corruption. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013 with amendments in parliament, following the Jan Lokpal movement led by Anna Hazare in 2010. The Lokpal is responsible for enquiring into corruption charges at the national level while the Lokayukta performs the same function at the state level. The age of Lokpal on the date of assuming office as the chairperson or a member should not be less than 45 years.
The Lokayukta is the Indian Parliamentary Ombudsman, executed into power, through and for, each of the State Governments of India. It is brought into effect in a state, after passing the Lokayukta Act in respective state Legislature and a person of reputable background is nominated to the post. The post is created to quickly address grievances against the working integrity and efficiency of the government or its administration. Once appointed, Lokayukta cannot be dismissed or transferred by the government, and can only be removed by passing an impeachment motion by the state assembly, making it a powerful deterrent against corruption and mal-administration of the governing system.
Kerala is a state on the southwestern coast of India. It is known for its high literacy rate, low infant mortality rate, and long life expectancy. Kerala has also been a pioneer in the field of decentralization and participatory local democracy.
Citizens charter in local governments in the Indian state of Kerala refers to a statement of paid and unpaid services, that a local government renders to a citizen residing in the local government area, for improving their living conditions and it includes the granting of financial assistance and the issue of permit, licence or certificate for any purpose. The charter enlists the name of services, the conditions for obtaining that service and the time limit within which the services are made available to the citizen.
An ombudsman, ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament to investigate complaints and attempt to resolve them, usually through recommendations or mediation.
The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the Citizen's Ombudsman Bill, was a bill drawn up by civil society activists in India seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body to investigate corruption cases and complete the investigation within a year for envisaging trial in the case getting completed within one year.
The Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The Estonian Chancellor of Justice(Estonian: Õiguskantsler) is an independent supervisor of the basic principles of the Constitution of Estonia and the protector of individual rights. The institution seeks to ensure that authorities fulfil the obligations deriving from the principles of the rule of law and protection of human and social rights, human dignity, freedom, equality and democracy. The Chancellor of Justice is appointed to office by the Riigikogu on the proposal of the President.
The Office of the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, or Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ), is the National Human Rights Institution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. It was established under Section 27 of the Constitution of Timor-Leste in May 2002 and first opened its doors in 2006. The PDHJ has a dual mandate covering human rights and good governance.
Police Complaints Authority (PCA) is a body that adjudicates allegations of improper or shoddy investigations, refusal to file FIRs, custodial torture and high-handedness against the police. But its recommendations are high authorities and recognised governmental authority upon the state government for action against errant police personnel. Seventeen States have established the PCAs through State Police Acts, while ten states have done this through executive orders with a long-term goal of the PCAs is changing the policing culture and making it thoroughly professional.

The Federal Tax Ombudsman evaluates complaints against federal tax agencies. Article 37 of the Constitution of Pakistan calls for inexpensive and expeditious justice. The Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance of 2000 and the Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reforms (FOIR) Act of 2013 confer powers, including administrative and financial autonomy. This aligns with the separation of Pakistan's judiciary and executive branches in accordance with the Constitution.
- Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta is formed as the parliamentary ombudsman by the Government of Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act, 83. Its institution acts as the high-level statutory functionary for the state of Andhra Pradesh and created independent of the governing political and public administration to address the public grievances against the state government and its administration. It came into force with effect from 1st November'83. It functions as a public instrument against corruption and other malpractices by public servants and government authorities of the state.
Chhattisgarh Lokayog is the Parliamentary Ombudsman for the state of Chhattisgarh (India). It is a high level statutory functionary, created to address grievances of the public against ministers, legislators, administration and public servants in issues related to misuse of power, mal-administration and corruption. It was first formed under the Chhattisgarh Lok Ayog Act, 2002 and approved by the president of India. The passage of Lokpal and Lokayukta's Act, 2013 in Parliament had become law from January 16, 2014 and requires each state to appoint its Lokayukta within a year. A bench of Lokayukta should consist of judicial and non-judicial members. An Upa-Lokayukta is a deputy to Lokayukta and assists him in his work and acts in-charge Lokayukta in case the position fells vacant before time.
Punjab Lokayukta is the Parliamentary Ombudsman for the Indian state of Punjab. It is a high level statutory functionary, created to address grievances of the public against ministers, legislators, administration and public servants in issues related to misuse of power, mal-administration and corruption. It was first formed under the Punjab Lokpal Act-1996, and approved by the president of India. The passage of Lokpal and Lokayukta's Act,2013 in Parliament had become law from January 16,2014 and requires each state to appoint its Lokayukta within a year. A bench of Lokayukta should consist of judicial and non-judicial members. An Upa-Lokayukta is a deputy to Lokayukta and assists him in his work and acts in-charge Lokayukta in case the position fells vacant before time.
Sikkim Lokayukta is the Parliamentary Ombudsman for the state of Sikkim (India). It is a high level statutory functionary, created to address grievances of the public against ministers, legislators, administration and public servants in issues related to misuse of power, mal-administration and corruption. It was first formed under the Sikkim Lokayukta and Deputy Lokayukta Act-2012 and approved by the president of India. The passage of Lokpal and Lokayukta's Act,2013 in Parliament had become law from January 16, 2014 and requires each state to appoint its Lokayukta within a year. A bench of Lokayukta should consist of judicial and non-judicial members. An Upa-Lokayukta is a deputy to Lokayukta and assists him in his work and acts in-charge Lokayukta in case the position fells vacant before time.
Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kerala (VACB) is an agency of Government of Kerala constituted to investigate offences of bribery and corruption falling within the purview of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in the state of Kerala. The VACB was established in 1964 and operates under the control of the Vigilance Department of the Government of Kerala. The VACB has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, and has several regional offices across the state.