The government on Thursday approved the amended Lokpal Bill, accepting 14 of 16 recommendations made by a Rajya Sabha select committee. The amended bill will once again be discussed in the Upper House in Parliament’s forthcoming Budget Session. Once passed by the Rajya Sabha, the bill will be sent to the Lok Sabha for approval.
The two key recommendations not accepted by the government are that public servants should not be given an opportunity to present their views before initiating a preliminary inquiry, and that a CBI officer investigating a case referred by the Lokpal should be transferred only with its consent or approval.
Sources said the government rejected the clause about transferring investigative officers as it felt it would have adversely affected the agency’s functioning. The government felt since transfers and postings are purely an administrative matter, it should be left to the CBI rather than the Lokpal. Also, the department of personnel and training, under which the CBI functions, felt the “principle of protection” should not be denied to a public servant.
The BJP, however, attacked the government for not giving autonomy to the CBI, and also questioned the government’s right to make changes in the Lokpal Bill that it said was the “property of the Rajya Sabha”. The BJP said “any change can be only made by the Upper House as far as parliamentary procedure is concerned”.
The Cabinet accepted a key suggestion to delink the Lokpal Bill from the setting up of lokayuktas in states.