In a major setback to social activist Anna Hazare and his campaign to bring the Lok Pal Bill in the winter session in Parliament, the pertinent standing committee of MPs is split on bringing the Prime Minister under the anti-graft authority.
The ruling UPA’s members demanded that the Prime Minister cannot come under the proposed ombudsman because he is “not just an individual but a representative of the country”. They pointed out that the Indian Penal Code anyway permitted to carry out investigations against the Prime Minister; so bringing him/her under the Lok Pal was redundant.
Currently, the standing committee on personnel, public grievance, law and justice is in the process of finalising the report. On their part, the members have decided not to make Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission part of the Lok Pal. It has also chosen to keep the judiciary out of the Lok Pal’s ambit. When it comes to the PM, “there is complete division”, said a member of the panel.
“The constitutional and legal experts who were called before the committee had suggested to keep the PM out of Lok Pal. We are seriously considering our suggestions,” he said.
The decisions by the standing committee could lead Hazare to restart his hunger strike (for three days, as he has said), and campaign against the UPA in state elections after the winter session.
Members of the committee elaborated that the CBI director also wanted to avoid bringing the probe agency under the anti-graft authority. Pointed out the member: “The campaigners of (Hazare’s) India Against Corruption wanted 16,000 CBI officers and personnel to start with, but CBI has only 4,000 personnel to fight corruption. The basic question is, where would the remaining 12,000 come from. The CVC has only 223 personnel. Once the Lok Pal is formed, it will become redundant.”
As for the judiciary, the committee’s members have unanimously decided not to keep it under the Lok Pal. Reason: the government is already working on a Judicial Accountability Bill. It could be tabled in Parliament in the coming session. “Most of the members are of the opinion that there should be some four of five Bills to end corruption,” added the member.
The panel has also decided to bring all the 8.5 million government employees of groups A and B under the Lok Pal. Also, the state government would have to set up Lokayuktas on the lines of the Lok Pal at the Centre. “The task before the Lok Pal will be huge,” the member said. “With 8.5 million government employees to look at, it is a going to be a huge effort for the authority to end corruption.”