The proposed Lokpal will have the status of a Constitutional authority for which purpose the Constitution will be amended, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid disclosed on Tuesday night.
“We are working on a very strong Lokpal Bill. A Lokpal Bill that will come with a Constitutional amendment. That amendment will give the Lokpal the status of a Constitutional authority,” he told PTI in an interview.
The Lokpal will be “more powerful than the Election Commission” and “will have far greater powers”. Its profile and stature will be “much higher”, Mr. Khurshid said.
A Lokpal, with the status of a Constitutional authority, had been proposed by Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi during his intervention on a debate on the subject in Lok Sabha last month.
Mr. Khurshid acknowledged that the move was in line with Gandhi’s suggestion. “He is very committed to that and he believes that it is a very important step we must take because Lokpal is no ordinary institution,” he said.
The Law Minister said the proposal had not yet been formally considered by the Union Cabinet but the sense in the government and the party was for a Lokpal that will have Constitutional status.
