The Abhishek Singhvi-headed parliamentary Standing Committee, which completed its deliberations on the Lokpal Bill on Wednesday, remained split three ways on the issue of bringing the Prime Minister within the purview of the proposed ombudsman.
While MPs from the Left, the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal wanted the Prime Minister included with some safeguards, so that decisions related to foreign policy, national security, etc. were excluded, the Congress MPs stuck to the line taken in the official version of the Bill — that the Prime Minister's record could be scrutinised after he demitted office. A third group — including those from the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and Amar Singh — was for keeping the office of Prime Minister outside the purview of the Bill.
The recommendations also include taking the appointment of CBI Director out of the government's hands. The committee has recommended, informed sources said, that the appointment be made by the same panel that chooses the Lokpal. It has also suggested enhancement of punishment for the guilty from what is now provided for under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The BJP, it is learnt, has given a note of dissent on non-inclusion of the lower bureaucracy and the Citizens' Charter in the recommendations finalised on Wednesday. The UPA government has proposed that a separate law address the issue of Citizens' Grievance Redress, as bringing it within the purview of the Lokpal Bill would make it too cumbersome.
Team Anna has been campaigning to include the Prime Minister, the lower bureaucracy and citizens' grievances under the Lokpal.
Meanwhile, Lok Jan Shakti Party's Ramvilas Paswan boycotted the meeting in protest against the Standing Committee's refusal to mandate that the selection and search panels for the Lokpal would have a quota for the SCs, the STs, the OBCs and minorities. However, a Standing Committee member later said the matter came up and these panels would reflect the composition of society.
