By IANS,
New Delhi : Recommending constitutional status for the anti-graft ombudsman but leaving the issue of the prime minister’s inclusion to parliament, a standing committee on the Lokpal Friday tabled its report in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Panel chief Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the committee recommended keeping group A and B employees within the ambit of the Lokpal while putting group C and D staff under the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).
“Group C staff has been placed under CVC, a statutory body, as Group A and B, which are higher in bureaucracy, have been put under Lokpal, a higher constitutional body,” said Singhvi.
He said the panel dealt with 24 issues and had unanimity on 13 issues. He also said the maximum dissent notes (13) related to exclusion of Group C staff from the Lokpal.
“The panel is not a political forum, individual members can submit their notes of dissent and this is reflected in the report,” said Singhvi.
He also said that the other controversial issue of bringing the prime minister within the am bit of the ombudsman has been left to the wisdom of parliament with three options — inclusion of the prime minister under Lokpal, non-inclusion, and deferred inclusion.
The panel also suggested keeping the speech and conduct of MPs in the house out of the Lokpal, saying Article 105 provides enough safeguards for the purpose.
The committee has left the judiciary out of the Lokpal, saying the issue be dealt with separately through the judges’ accountability bill.
It has also recommended a separate grievance redressal bill to address the demand of a citizen’s charter.
According to the standing committee, a single enactment under Articles 253 and 254 of the constitution will enable the setting up of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas, with uniform powers in states.
Stating that the panel has separated the Central Bureau of Investigation’s probing role from prosecution for objectivity, Singhvi said in case of a complaint, the Lokpal would initiate a preliminary inquiry and then refer it to the agency, which would then not be answerable to either the law ministry or the Lokpal.
The case would then go to the prosecution wing of the Lokpal and then to the special courts to be set up, he said.
While the panel had made mandatory reservation for Dalits, backwards and minorities up to 50 percent in the search panel for the Lokpal, it has introduced the selection committee as a unique concept, he added.
The panel has suggested punitive measures to deal with false complaints, Singhvi said.