All-party meet on lokpal (December 14)

(Updated Coverage)

The all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the lokpal bill to attempt a consensus on the issue began on Wednesday(December 14).Leaders from different political parties met for almost three hours at the Prime Minister's residence.

• Opposition parties said The government has not given any assurance about bringing the bill in this session . However PM has assured that
  "  Government is keen that this lokpal should be passed  as far as possible on the basis of consensus among all parties that is driven by Parliament as the custodian of legislation."
   
• A majority of the parties agreed that the Prime Minister should be included, with safeguards, within the ambit of the Lokpal 
• Most parties also wanted the lower bureaucracy included;
  only the the Communist Party of India (CPI) held out on that.
  
• There was no  consensus on how much control the Lokpal should have over the CBI 
•  Most parties agreed that the Lokpal should have its own investigation wing, they were not in agreement on whether that should mean bringing the CBI under the Lokpal.
  The Left said the CBI must be "depoliticised' or should be away from the control of politicians or independent

The CBI's director, AP Singh, met with the Prime Minister earlier today(Wednesday,December 14) He reportedly said that

• The agency is willing to accept the Lokpal as its new boss, but the ombudsman must then be the only body with supervisory powers over the CBI. The CBI also wants all administrative, financial and legal powers to be vested in the agency's chief.
• What the CBI does not want is a bifurcation or branched division of the agency, which has been suggested by some parties, who believe that sections of it can be placed under the Lokpal, while others remain autonomous.
  

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Team Anna in reply said that it supports the CBI stand on need for autonomy in investigative powers, but has asked for the director to be appointed independentlyMain Opposition party, the BJP, aslo has the same opinion.They both want that director of the CBI and other senior officers to be appointed by an independent panel, not the government. And it wants total investigative freedom for the agency.

A parliamentary committee that studied the Lokpal Bill and submitted its report last week suggested that the Lokpal must conduct a preliminary inquiry into an allegation of corruption and then assign it to the CBI.  The committee also wants the Lokpal to sign off on the CBI's closure reports that signal the findings of its investigation. The CBI disagrees with both, arguing that these processes will weaken its ability to conduct efficient investigations.  For example, a preliminary inquiry, it says,  may alert the official under suspicion to likely action by the CBI, giving him or her enough notice to destroy or conceal evidence.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/All-party-meet-on-lokpal-begins-CBI-remains-a-sticky-issue/Article1-782406.aspx

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_want-lokpal-to-be-passed-on-basis-of-all-party-consensus-pm_1625850
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/govt-keen-to-pass-lokpal-bill-in-current-session-says-pm-at-all-party-meet-157956http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/All-party-meet-on-lokpal-begins-CBI-remains-a-sticky-issue/Article1-782406.aspxhttp://ibnlive.in.com/news/lokpal-allparty-meet-over-deadlock-remains/211956-37-64.htmlhttp://www.ndtv.com/article/india/lokpal-all-party-meet-ends-no-consensus-on-inclusion-of-cbi-157991