THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, February 9: The Jharkhand High Court has stepped up pressure on the state government over long-pending appointments to key constitutional bodies, including the Lokayukta and the Chairperson of the State Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
A bench of Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar directed the state to clearly spell out the timeline for appointing the Lokayukta, ordering the matter to be listed “high on the Board” on February 10, 2026.
Govt Asked to Commit to Timeline
During the hearing of a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) and a civil contempt case, the court said it would pass a mandatory order within six weeks if the government failed to act.
Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan told the court that the issue of appointing the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners is pending before the Supreme Court, but assured that appointments to the Lokayukta and NHRC chairperson posts would be completed soon.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate V.P. Singh said several constitutional bodies in Jharkhand have remained without heads or members for three to five years, severely affecting their functioning.
The court is hearing multiple PILs filed by different petitioners, along with a contempt petition by Raj Kumar, all highlighting delays in appointments across at least 12 constitutional and statutory institutions in the state.
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for February 10, 2026, when the Advocate General is expected to make a categorical statement on the Lokayukta appointment timeline.