Toothless legislation
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 02, 2013 -
Moving a step towards pushing the controversial anti-corruption Bill through Parliament, the Union Cabinet has given its nod to the amended Lokpal Bill draft on January 31.
Out of the 16 recommendations made by a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha, the Union Cabinet has accepted 14 recommendations.
Thus, the revised Bill has incorporated many changes including delinking the Centre from creation of State Lokayuktas and setting up of a separate prosecution wing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), whose director would be appointed by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
However, exclusion of two key recommendations with regard to bringing the operation of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the purview of Lokpal and giving no opportunity to officials facing inquiry by Lokpal to be heard at the stage of preliminary inquiry is likely to make the path ahead stormy before the Lokpal Bill could finally see the light of the day.
Apart from the fact that the recommendations and the Centre's views are to be subjected to approval in Rajya Sabha where the Bill remained stuck since last year, it is only after getting cleared from the Upper House that the Bill in its present form would have to travel back to the Lok Sabha where it would be put to vote once again. So, it's still long away to go and wait.
On the other hand, differences of opinions among the anti-graft campaigners, who have been instrumental in taking up the issue of corruption in the country to this level, have already surfaced over the amended Bill draft.
While former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and activist Kiran Bedi has welcomed and backed the amended Lokpal Bill draft maintaining that 'most concerns have been addressed in the new draft and it is time to give up the opposition', other prominent anti-graft activists like the die-hard Anna Hazare and vocal Arvind Kejriwal, who is now the convenor of the newly launched Aam Aadmi Party, have rejected the draft Bill.
Describing it as a farce, Anna Hazare has even threatened to launch yet another around of agitation for a stronger Act to fight corruption.
Here, we just hope that the main issue and the purpose for which a strong legislation has been needed to fight the menace of corruption, which has eaten into the very core of our social and political ethos, does not get lost in the cacophony of political wrangling.
The basic idea of Lokpal has been borrowed from the office of Ombudsman, which has played an effective role in checking corruption and wrongdoing in Scandinavian and other Nations, and for the first time, the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) which was set up in 1966 recommended constitution of a two-tier machinery of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta(s) in the States to deal with mounting corruption in public administration.
But even after 47 years down the line, which is a pretty long period, it is unfortunate that the people whose blood are being suck dry are yet to see any legislation which is strong enough to fight against corruption.
By the way, can we expect an effective Lokpal while investigating agencies like CBI and CVC remain under the control of the Government? Definitely, not.
Amended Lokpal Bill, if at all it becomes an Act, would be at best legislation without sting.
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