Former high court judge Justice (retired) D.P. Buch took oath as the new Lokayukta of Gujarat on Wednesday.
The post had been lying vacant for 10 years. Nobody had acquired the post since the last serving Justice R. M. Soni's term expired in December 2003.
The swearing-in ceremony of JUstice Buch by Governor Kamla Beniwal was held at a function at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar.
Interacting with mediapersons after the oath-taking ceremony, Justice Buch said: "We cannot prioritise anything now, but we need to look into all the complaints which have been lying unnoticed. It is also important to place all the complaints to the one being addressed, because the law says the complaints have to be addressed to the concerned dignitaries and no one else. And secondly, the time limit should also be taken into notice. These are the two most important points."
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela, Assembly Speaker Vajubhai Vala, high court judges, ministers and other senior government officials were also present at the function.
This appointment came at a time when Modi has been facing criticism from the ruling Congress party over the post lying vacant for a decade.
The opposition party also maintained that Modi has been repeatedly raising the issue of corruption under the Congress-led UPA government, but failed to appoint Lokayukta in his own state.
