New Delhi: Naming Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi as the moving spirit for the latest move to create a mechanism to deal with corruption in public life, the Government on Tuesday put for consideration of the Lok Sabha the anti-graft Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, which had seen a stormy introduction in the House on December 22.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayansamy stating the circumstances leading to the Government decision to bring in what he called the ”landmark” legislation, sought to dismiss the Opposition charge that it was a weak bill, and asserted that no other legislation had sought to create an anti-graft body that had powers of investigation, prosecution and punishment.
During his about 20-minute speech, the Minister took pot shots at the BJP for having opposed inclusion of the office of the Prime Minister in the ambit of the Lokpal when it ruled at the Centre. This led to loud reaction from the Opposition benches, impelling Speaker Meira Kumar to intervene.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was not seen in the initial proceedings of the House, joined in as the Lokpal Bill was taken up.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and all the senior Ministers were present in the House. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal was seen sitting just next to Mr Narayanasamy to help his junior during his presentation.
As Mr Narayanasamy began to speak, RJD Chief Lalu Yadav rose to express some objections to the Bill, but the Speaker asked him to keep quiet and let the Minister proceed.
Mr Narayanasamy tracing the history of the legislation for creation of a Lokpal said that after the Administrative Reforms Commission had in 1966 recommended for setting up a Lokpal, several attempts were made and eight Bills were introduced, some of which lapsed and one was withdrawn.
He said the latest move to create such an institution came by Ms Sonia Gandhi when in her address to the AICC session last year, she called for creation of a mechanism to deal with corruption in piblic life and withdrawal of discretionary powers vested in ministers.
Later, he said the Government appointed a Group of Ministers on corruption which recomended many important measures.
Mr Narayanasamy, without naming social activist Anna Hazare who has launched a movement for creating a strong Lokpal, said that in the meanwhile, a ‘new experiment” was made in April this year when the Government involved the ‘civil’ society in the process of drafting a legislation for creating an anti-graft body.
But, he said, several of the demands of the civil society groups were not in accordance with the Constitution, so the Government brought in its own Bill after obtaining a sense of the House in August this year mainly on the demands for incorporating a citizens’ charter, bringing lower bureaucracy in the ambit of Lokpal and creation of state lokayuktas.
Narayanasamy said the Bill sought to create a Lokpal at the Centre and state lokayuktas in states to deal with corruption by public servants at all levels.
There will be a Lokpal Committee headed by a Chairman and nine members, 50 per cent of which would be reserved for SC/STs, women, backward classes and minorities, and not less than 50 per cent of whose members would be judicial.
He said Lokpal would be appointed by the President on the recommendations of a Selection Committee consisting of Prime Minister(Chairperson), Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him and one eminent jurist nominated by the President.
Besides, the Lokpal would have an inquiry wing and a prosecution wing and wil have all categories of employees under its purview. It would refer the complaints against lower bureaucracy to the Central Vigilance Commission , and those relating to higher class of officers to CBI after preliminary investigations. (PTI)