CBI to be out of Lokpal, Bill to be tabled on Dec 27
Not yielding to Anna Hazare’s demand, government is understood to have decided to keep CBI out of control of the proposed Lokpal.
This is the view that has emerged out of the discussions senior ministers, who are lawyers in their own right, had among themselves and had reportedly recommended to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The draft Cabinet note, to which officials of the personnel and legislative department had given final touches last night, was sent to the prime minister who has cleared it for the special Cabinet meeting tonight.
Home minister P. Chidambaram, law minister Salman Khurshid and telecom minister Kapil Sibal discussed the amendments to the Lokpal on Monday and finalised the changes. Minister of state for personnel V. Narayansamy was also part of these discussions.
Sources said that the Lokpal would have no no control over the CBI, a demand strongly pursued by Hazare and his team during the last several months.
The sources also said there would be no no separate directorate of prosecution of the CBI under the Lokpal.
Among other amendments proposed to the existing Lokpal Bill is that the panel to chose CBI chief would comprise the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. The Chief Justice of India is being named in the place of Lok Sabha Speaker as originally planned.
The Bill will also provide for impeachment of the Lokpal for which 100 MPs have to initiate a proposal.
The Lokpal also cannot initiate a probe on its own and can only act on complaints referred to it, the sources said.
The office of Prime Minister is expected to be brought within the purview of Lokpal with certain safeguards.
The Winter Session of Parliament has been extended by three days from December 27 to facilitate passage of the Lokpal Bill and some other legislations.
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