Lokpal bill passed in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 by voice vote even as the Left, BSP and SP staged a walkout. SP and BSP staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha shortly before the voting on the lokpal bill in protest against the government bringing a "weak legislation"  

• Lokpal bill was passed without Constitutional status due to lack of 2/3 consensus in parliament . 
• Before the Lokpal Bill as put to vote the Government amended Section 24, the provision to keep armed forces under its ambit, 
• the state government will decide on the Lokayuktas, 
• and the requirement of three-fourth members of Lokpal to approve inquiry against the Prime Minister was changed to two-third.
• The Leader of the Opposition raised objections to several issues including creation of Lokayukta through the lokpal bill and the process of appointment and removal of the ombudsman 
• They also demanded inclusion of CBI under its ambit,

• The lokpal bill was rejected as weak and inadequate by several parties which wanted it to be withdrawn even Manmohan Singh pushed for it while rejecting demands for bringing CBI under the ambit of the anti-graft ombudsman.
• BJP's leader Yashwant Sinha called the Congress-led UPA government "morally bankrupt" which has brought a "brokepal" bill instead of lokpal bill. Sinha said that the rampant corruption in the country in the past years had prompted Anna Hazare to go on fast.
• Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said it should be sent back to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for further discussion to make it "effective and strong". "Accept our amendments or withdraw the bill... Send it back to standing committee for further discussion," she said while describing it as a "patently unconstitutional" legislation which the Opposition will not "tolerate".  
• Tearing into the bill in its present form, Swaraj said it would "sow the seeds of second partition" as it has the provision for religion-based reservation which was "patently unconstitutional".
• UPA partners, Trinamool Congress and DMK, also supporting parties like RJD and SP, maintained that the provisions to create Lokayuktas through a central legislation would impinge on the powers of the states and wanted that it should not be rushed under pressure of the Anna Hazare movement.
• RJD chief Lalu Prasad also demanded its withdrawal contending that the bill was brought in "haste under pressure".

• Pushing for passage of the bill, the Prime Minister said a "holistic" approach was needed to deal with the "cancer" of corruption but rejected demands for bringing CBI under the purview of lokpal, warning that no entity should be created inconsistent with the country's Constitutional framework.
   "I believe that the CBI should function independently of the lokpal. We believe that the CBI should function without interference through any Government diktat."He said
•  Prime Minister also dismissed opposition to the provision on setting up of Lokayuktas in states, saying federalism cannot be an impediment in the war against corruption as essential services in the states are the "bane" of corrupt practices. 
• Singh reiterated the supremacy of the Parliament and said that it should take the final decision on the bill. Singh said that others can persuade and have their voices heard but the final decision while making policy must rest with us.

• Demanding that lokpal should be accountable to both Parliament and Supreme Court, CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia said corruption by corporates and business houses should be brought under the lokpal ambit. 

• Kapil Sibal  led the Congress counter-charge and  hit out   at the BJP saying it had "political motives" to delay the bill so that it benefits them in the upcoming polls through Anna Hazare's campaign. "If you oppose this bill, you will be violating the sense of the House and people will never forgive you," he told the Opposition. 

Editor's View: This lokpal bill passed has a number of errors(see those errors ). Another thing to be considered is that Government got full time (more than 3 months to standing committee and full 6 months to government ) to frame a healthy lokpal so they or others should not blame Team Anna for lack of time.Government simply made a revengeful formality!! We didn't demand for this beggar faced lokpal! 
Source:  http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Lokpal-bill-passed-in-Lok-Sabha-by-voice-vote/Article1-787999.aspx
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ls-passes-lokpal-bill-left-sp-bsp-walk-out/215545-37-64.html

Lokpal row: Anna warns govt with fast, jail bharo

 SEE why team anna is unhappy with standing committee's report

• Social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday said they will go on the fast from December 27 if the government does not pass the Lokpal Bill in this session of the parliament.
• Hazare also said that from the first day of new year (Jan 1, 2012), supporters of Jan Lokpal Bill will start bharo aandolan all over the country. 

•  He said that the activists will sit outside the house of the MPs of the parties which have opposed the anti-graft bill and force the govt to arrest them and put in jail.

• In case the bill is passed by the the Hazare plans to present important people in the govt with a rose. Hazare said that rose is meant to show the people in the govt how the the flower stays among thorns and still gives happiness to the people.

Earlier today, the govt acknowledged that consensus eluded the all-party meeting on Lokpal issue. However, parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the government was confident that it would be able to table the proposed bill in the winter session itself.

"I believe that it would be possible. Yesterday (Wednesday), there was an all-party meeting where 35 different parties participated. All had different views on the issue. To say there was broad consensus on the issue would be wrong. This has increased the work load of the government," Bansal said.
"How to compile these 35 different views and then also bringing in government views and to make amendments in the proposed bill," Bansal said, referring to the task at government's hand.
However, "We are working hard on it and I am confident we will be present it in this session," he said.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Lokpal-row-Anna-warns-govt-with-fast-jail-bharo/Article1-782778.aspx

Lokpal Bill on govt agenda for winter session

 The government on Wednesday (november 16 2011) said its legislative agenda for the winter session of parliament that includes the Lokpal Bill and Whistle Blower Protection Bill. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the session, starting Nov 22, will have 21 sittings.He hoped the parliamentary standing committee examining the bill will be able to submit its report by Dec 1. 
 

The minister also gave a list of 31 bills that the government intends to pass during the winter session that ends Dec 21.  Bansal also met chief whips of all political parties to discuss the issues they wanted to take up during the session. 

"Political parties want to discuss issues like price rise, black money, division of states, energy security, corruption, situation in Afghanistan, earthquake in Sikkim and also issues concerning the farmers," he added.
Anna Hazare has threatened to go on a hunger strike again if the government does not pass the bill in the winter session. 
Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/lokpal-bill-on-govt-agenda-for-winter-session_742165.html

Uttarakhand Assembly passed Lokayukta Bill

BACKGROUND: Passing of Lokayukat bill in a state means that an anti-corruption ombudsman organization known as Lokayukat will be there in that state headed by the Lokpal at Center level.


NEWS: Lokayukta Bill has been passed by thr Uttarakhand Assembly. Team Anna  said that the passed by Uttarakhand Assembly is "in full spirit of Jan Lokpal Bill".
This  Lokayukta Bill passed by Uttarakhand Assembly have a provision of life imprisonment for those found guilty of corruption. It will also bring the lower judiciary under the ambit of the Lokayukta.
It also provides sweeping powers to the proposed five-member Lokayukta, including separate investigation and prosecution wings. All public servants, including the chief minister, have been brought under its purview.

 "Congratulations. Uttrakhand is the first state which has passed a Lokayukta Bill unanimously in the Assembly. It's in full spirit of Jan Lokpal Bill," Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said.

Three other non-Congress ruled states — Bihar, Orissa and Punjab — are in touch with Team Anna for overhauling their Lokayukta institutions.


Sources: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/uttarakhands-lokayukta-bill-in-full-spirit-of-jan-lokpal/883484.html
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/3-more-BJP-states-going-Jan-Lokpal-way/Article1-762978.aspx

Lok Sabha to discuss Jan Lokpal tomorrow (26/8/11 )

Government have decided to have a discussion in the Lok Sabha on friday on the Jan Lokpal Bill.
As per sources

1. discussion will take place on the Bill in the shape of a “document” and its salient features after which the records of the debate are expected to be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the Lokpal Bill.
2. It was, however, not clear immediately whether the debate would be held under Rule 193 or Rule 184, which entails voting.
3. The wording of such a motion could ask for a discussion on the Jan Lokpal and other Bills like the one prepared by Ms. Roy along with the government version of the Bill, and the paper presented by Jaiprakash Narayan so that these be sent to the Standing Committee for its consideration for making a strong Lokpal Bill, sources said.
4. During the discussion, members will be free to speak on Aruna Roy’s version of Lokpal Bill along with the Jan Lokpal and government's Lokpal draft etc. In view of the discussion, Parliament will have a sitting on Saturday, the sources said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal also held a meeting with Mr. Mukherjee on the issue of discussions.

The meeting took place soon after Mr. Hazare reacted to Parliament’s appeal to end his fast and demanded that it discuss from Friday three key issues on Jan Lokpal and create an agreement first.

Sources: 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2396849.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/economy/article2376704.ece

The Lokpal bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday(august 4 2011)

"The Lokpal bill will be introduced on Thursday. We have already given notice but there are certain requirements about the preparation of the bill as it has not been circulated," Pawan Kumar Bansal (Parliamentary Affairs Minister) told reporters outside the Parliament House Tuesday.

"Members have to receive the copies. They will get the copies on Wednesday. In all probability, it (bill) will be introduced the day after (Thursday)."

Bansal said as all parties are in favour of introducing the draft bill at the earliest, the government has written to the speaker to waive off the two-day period required to distribute copies of any new bill to all political parties to enable them to study it.

Earlier, in the day, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy gave the notice to the speaker. "Our paperwork is complete. We have written to the speaker and it is up to her to take a decision," Narayanasamy told reporters.

Request to BJP for perfect bill.(Post-meets 0.1 )

Civil society activist Anna Hazare on Friday held a meeting with the top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party to discuss his draft of the Lokpal Bill. After one-and-a-half hour meeting at the BJP headquarters in Delhi there was a consensus between his team and the BJP over the formation of a strong and effective Lokpal.


"good and fruitful" Said Anna about the meeting 


"In our discussions, the drafts of the Jan Lokpal Bill and the government draft were discussed. It was felt that there is a need for more debate for a strong Lokpal Bill," Hazare said.
 He said he had requested BJP leaders that when the bill comes up in Parliament, leaders like Arun Jaitley, Advani and Sushma Swaraj should argue strongly for it.


Edited From: http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-hazare-calls-meeting-with-bjp-good-and-fruitful/20110701.htm

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