Lokpal Bill tabled in Parliament, confrontation looms

By parliamentary standing committee on law and justice chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi's own admission, there are only 13 points of agreement out of the total 24 issues concerning the Lokpal Bill that were taken up for discussion.

SPECIAL: Anna Hazare dominated cyber space

The length and scope of dissent notes in the report of the standing committee, which was tabled in Parliament on Friday, suggested that another confrontation was looming over the head of the embattled UPA government.

And this time it won't be just Team Anna but even the political parties are likely to take up cudgels against the government.

POLL: Will setting up Lokpal really check corruption?

As many as 17 members of the panel have submitted dissent notes over various issues in the report, ranging from reservation in Lokpal to inclusion of the Prime Minister.

The BJP termed the report "complicated" and alleged that there was an attempt to make the passage of the Lokpal Bill difficult. The principal Opposition party, besides giving a detailed dissent note, asserted outside Parliament that the government was not interested in bringing a strong Lokpal.

PROFILE: Arvind Kejriwal

"This report looks like a lawyer's draft devoid of any political and administrative sensibility. They have made the entire process even more legally complicated," leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said after the report was tabled in the House.

The committee recommended setting up a comprehensive grievance redressal mechanism which should be "placed in a separate framework to ensure speed, efficiency and focus in dealing with citizens' grievances as per a specified Citizens Charter".

On the issue of PM's inclusion in Lokpal's ambit, the committee considered five options including inclusion, exclusion, inclusion only after demitting office and inclusion by excluding duties concerning national security and foreign affairs.

The committee left the five options to the "good sense of Parliament". On the issue of vote, speech and conduct of MPs within the House, the committee felt that constitutional safeguards given to MPs under Article 105 are sacrosanct and time-tested and an amendment to the article will be "futile" and cause delay.

The committee found merit in the suggestions, particularly from Team Anna, for a single comprehensive law for Lokpal and state Lokayuktas. The committee has said the state assemblies could be given power to make state-specific amendments to the Central law. It has also suggested that the Bill may be renamed as Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2011.

Another controversial question was regarding the Group C and D officers, numbering over five million.

The House panel has recommended that they should be brought under CVC's jurisdiction, adding: "This is the start of the Lokpal institution and it should not be dogmatic and inflexible on any of the issues. For a swift and efficient start, the Lokpal should be kept slim, trim, effective and swift."

Over the crucial question of bringing the CBI under Lokpal, the committee sought to take an independent line saying the investigating agency should be allowed to work without interference from either the government or the Lokpal.

The dissent notes from the Opposition, Congress and supporting the report. "We are not in agreement to the suggestion that if a PM is held guilty of corruption, the nation must continue to accept him and hold him accountable only after he demits office," a dissent note from the BJP MPs said.

They also demanded bringing the entire lower bureaucracy under the purview of the Lokpal as well as setting up a judicial commission.

Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, in his dissent note, said the CBI has become a "shameless instrument" of the evil political design of the ruling government.

Both the SP and the LJP demanded 50 per cent reservation for SC/ ST, OBCs, minorities and women in the Lokpal and in the search committee.



Courtesy: Mail Today