Judiciary out, Grp A-B staff included in Lokpal

As the Parliamentary standing committee examining the Lokpal Bill began finalising its report to be submitted in the Parliament, reports have said that 

• the panel has decided to keep the judiciary out of the anti-corruption ombudsman’s purview. 
• the panel has favoured the inclusion of Central government’s Group B staff as well in the Lokpal’s ambit, as against the original proposal of including just the 85,000-odd Group A staff. Group B services roughly included 1.7 lakh staff. 
•  the Committee is believed to have decided that the Lokpal Bill would also provide for Lokayuktas in states, as demanded by the Anna Hazare-led civil society group. 
• While the  Lokpal Bill seeks to have provision of imprisonment of not less than two years for persons filing false or frivolous complaints, it also seeks to impose a fine of Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh against such persons. But committee members were understood to have supported imprisonment of up to six months and a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakhon the lines of the contempt of court proceedings. 
• The same committee had recommendedreducing the punishment for the Whistleblowers Bill and the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill onfrivolous and false complaints. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the development Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has expressed concern over keeping the judiciary out of Lokpal's ambit. 
He, however, welcomed the reported decision to bring Group B government staff under Lokpal's ambit. Group C and D staff should also be brought under Lokpal's purview as they are the ones with whom the common man deals on a daily basis, he demanded.

Editor's View: Keeping Judiciary out of Lokpal's is and bringing Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill  not a bad decision as it is important for Judiciary System to be not under any institute and to be independent, and Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill will do the work of anti-corruption watchdog in Judiciary without bringing judiciary under Lokpal 

Source:http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/judiciary-out-grp-a-b-staff-included-in-lokpal_741930.html 

No deadline can be given for Lokpal report: Singhvi

The Parliamentary Committee looking into the Lokpal Bill may not be able to finish its work before the Winter Session of Parliament, which begins in the second half of next month, as it lost valuable one month’s time due to delay in its re-constitution.

An indication to this was given by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Personnel and Public Grievances chairperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi who said that no deadline or timeline can be given for submission of report. “We are trying, but no commitment has been made to submit the report before Parliament session.”

 Singhvi denied media reports that he was holding panel meetings late in the evening and on Saturday for his convenience which was causing a lot of inconvenience to members and claimed that many members who are also part of JPC and PAC prefer evening timings and Saturdays for the Lokpal panel's meeting.


Source: http://dailypioneer.com/nation/14705-no-deadline-can-be-given-for-lokpal-report-singhvi.html

Lokpal may get constitutional status.

The congress is planning to give constitutional status to lokpal. It appears good as it will vanish all the constitutional related flaws in the bill , but as per Team Anna and BJP this will make the bill's implementation late.

As per our Constitution if there is a 'want' of amendment in the constitution then there is a need  a two-thirds majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in favour of amendment.Team Anna and BJP are saying that this can't be achieved  as UPA does not have majority in either house: in the Rajya Sabha, it does not even have a simple majority.
But the flip side of this argument, Congress sources point out, is that surely the Opposition parties, who have put the government on the mat on the issue of corruption, would like to make the proposed law as strong as possible and cannot afford, therefore, to oppose giving the Lokpal constitutional status.


It appears to be idea of Rahul Gandhi which he introduced in August in a speech in Parliament. In his speech in August, “We speak of a statutory Lokpal but our discussions cease at the point of its accountability to the people and the risk that it might itself become corrupt. Madam Speaker, why not elevate the debate and fortify the Lokpal by making it a constitutional body accountable to Parliament like the Election Commission of India?”

The two former CJIs (whose draft is presented before standing commitee) explained that the proposed amendment could be passed in a single day. When members pointed out that the states would have to ratify the amendment, the retired CJIs reportedly explained that the proposed amendment would not need ratification of the states.

Editor's view:  Well its not a bad thing to give this bill a constitutional status but it appears to be a bad Idea when there is a risk of rejection of this amendment. We really need a middle way out
source http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2535276.ece

RTI effect: Govt to release Lokpal tapes

In a concession to Team Anna, the government on Sunday agreed to make the audio recordings of proceedings of the Joint Committee public(The Joint Drafting Committee, comprising five members of Team Anna and an equal number of Cabinet ministers, was formed to finalise the draft of the Lokpal Bill. for more information click here)  
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had earlier refused to bring out the deliberations of the Committee in public domain, saying it would need the Law Ministry's nod. The new position was revealed when an RTI activist was told he could get access to the audio recordings.

What is also important is the government will not be releasing all the details in these audio tapes, there will be some kind of selective release and this has come essentially because of the RTI application that was filed by Subhash Agarwal, who wanted all the details, particularly the audio clippings of the closed door meeting that happened between Team Anna and the 5 members of the cabinet be released and made public.

But it's clear that the government will be cautious in not releasing anything that can affect the draft of the Lokpal Bill and it has made it clear that this has been done only after the law ministry gave its nod to the DoPT that it can go ahead and release these audiotapes

However team Anna member and former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde is skeptical about the Government move to release the audio tapes of joint Lokpal panel's meetings, expressing fears that the CDs could be "edited". 

However, Anna Hazare has welcomed the government's decision and said the public had the right to know the truth.

Sources: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/govt-concedes-to-rti-query-releases-lokpal-tapes/191510-3.html http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Santosh-Hegde-fears-Lokpal-audio-clips-may-be-edited/articleshow/10293142.cms

ANALYSIS on "Do not vote for Congress" appeal of Anna Hazare

Background information: "I appeal to the people of Hisar not to vote for the Congress party and their candidate should be defeated as the party is not committed to passing the Jan Lokpal Bill," Anna Hazare said in a video message posted on You Tube
"Most of the parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), replied to me affirming their support but I have not received any communication from the Congress," he said. Hazare said he would call off his anti-Congress campaign if the party commits to passing the Jan Lokpal Bill in the winter session of parliament.


ANALYSIS:  Hazare  is demanding the defeat of congress and maybe he is right in demanding so as congress is hesitating in passing the bill. BUT to which extent this demand is not prejudiced? He is also saying that BJP supports bill and will provide help. So this way it appears that he is supporting one party through his statement and opposing other. It also suggest that Anna is corrupt, which is of course not true. So what is happening here ? The thing happening here is black and white politics. In this politics the majority party is always in black color ie always shows unfair acts and gains hatred on the other hand opposition party always intend to be white and true.This black and white colors rises and falls from one party as it looses or win majority. So problem is not with Anna to support BJP but with lack of multicolored politics ie the politics where there are more choices and personalities other than that of only evil and virgin! 

Team Anna 'referendum' on Jan Lokpal in Sonia's constituency

 Stepping up pressure on lawmakers, Team Anna would conduct surveys to assess public perception on Jan Lokpal Bill in Amethi and Rae Bareli, pocketborough of Nehru-Gandhi family, and other prominent parliamentary constituencies of UP and Uttarakhand ahead of winter session of Parliament.

"The time till Parliament's winter session (November) is important as the Standing Committee considering the Lokpal bill will hear views of various groups on this issue," Anna Hazare's associate and civil society activist Manish Sisodiya said here.

The first question in the "referendum" will be whether the MPs should support the Jan Lokpal bill proposed by Anna Hazare or not and the second question will be on whether people should vote for those MPs who have opposed the Bill, Sisodiya said.


Copied From:http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-09-25/news/30200880_1_team-anna-lokpal-bill-anna-hazare