Prevention of Corruption Bill's provisions should have been strengthened: Prashant Bhushan

Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan on Thursday said amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Bill would strengthen it.

"I hope and expect that in today's climate, when so many scams have come to light, the provisions would be strengthened," Bhushan told ANI.

"In so many cases of corruption where CBI files a chargesheet, the government does not give sanction or delays sanction. This provision should have been done away with. Instead of that, the bill has become more stringent by proposing that even action against retired officers would need government sanction before they are prosecuted," he added.

Bhushan expressed disappointment over the Parliament proposing to do away with the chapter on criminal misconduct. He said that with the amended provisions, cases like the 2G scam or the Coal Gate scam will no longer be deemed to be corrupt.

The government is expected to take up for discussion the anti-corruption amendment bill, which is aimed at enhancing the penalty for graft to a maximum of seven years from the present five years, in the Rajya Sabha today.

The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2015, also aims to provide a shield of protection for government employees after they have resigned or retired from the service.

The Union Cabinet had on April 29 given its nod for official amendments to the bill that provides for more stringent punishment for offences of bribery-both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.