Parliamentary panel to examine Lokpal Bill

Lokpal Bill is put on the fast-track with the Parliamentary panel on Law taking it for examination from Friday by hearing views of Aruna Roy and Jaiprakash Narayan who have presented their own drafts.

Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar is expected to make suggestions on bringing corporates within the ambit of the Lokpal when he makes a presentation before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

The Committee, that was re-constituted last week, has been asked to give its report within three months on the Lokpal Bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha after a high-voltage campaign by social activist Anna Hazare and his supporters.

On Saturday, the Committee has called senior lawyers Ashok Kumar Parija, Amarjeet Singh Chandiok and Harish Salve, legislative expert M R Madhavan, Amod Kanth, Chairman Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Pratap Bhanu Mehta President, Centre for Policy Research and Udit Raj, President Indian Justice Party.

CBI Director A P Singh was to make a presentation on Saturday but the same is now understood to have been scheduled for a later date. The Committee has to devise ways to form a strong Lokpal Bill and solve the differences between civil society headed by Anna Hazare and the government over the bill.

While government has brought forward the Lokpal Bill to check the menace of corruption, civil society has come up with Jan Lokpal Bill with certain powers and jurisdiction which did not find favour with the government.

CVC officials fear that there may be a conflict of interest in case the Lokpal comes into force in the form being envisaged by the civil society.