Government to delink Lokayukta provision in states from Lokpal Bill

In a bid to relieve the concerns of states and other political parties, the government has finally decided to delink the provision of Lokayuktas in states from the Lokpal bill.

In a letter written to Anna Hazare seeking his support for finding a compromise on the issue, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy has said that the government has proposed the Lokpal bill shall contain provisions for a model law setting up Lokayuktas in states.

The letter, however, gives no further clue about its set up and whether this provision has been suggested as an amendment to the bill before the Selection Committee for further discussions.

Noting that the government is focused to passing the legislation as per the wishes of the Parliament, the Minister said that the government is determined to pass the legislation in accordance to the wishes of the Parliament.

At present the bill is with the Selection Committee of Rajya Sabha and the government is proposing to incorporate three key demands which is found in the Sense of House resolution in the Bill.

Narayanasamy said the government has already proposed to bring lower bureaucracy under the ambit of Lokpal but the Central Commission and CBI will look into these cases.

Th e Lokapal bill has got stuck in the Rajya Sabha after parties raised objections against the provision for setting up Lokayuktas in states, claiming that it will cause damage to the federal structure.

In the letter, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expects that Anna Hazare will provide his support and co-operation in resolving the issues concerning national importance.

News report by AR for News Vision online news paper

CVC to suggest changes in the proposed Lokpal Bill

The CVC will suggest to the Parliamentary Standing Committee certain changes in the proposed Lokpal Bill and will pitch for greater powers to prosecute higher bureaucracy in corruption-related cases.

Senior officials in the anti-corruption body said that a detailed presentation explaining the Commission's role in checking graft in government departments has been prepared for the perusal of the panel.

A CVC official said that there would arise a conflict of interest in case if the Lokpal comes into effect in the form being envisaged by the civil society. The Committee is also entrusted with wide powers to deal with corruption related cases involving Central Government officials incuding those working in banks and other public offices, which will also come under the ambit of the Lokpal Bil.

The Commission comprised of Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar and two of his deputies R Srikumar and J M Garg, who is to present their views with this regard on September 7 before the House Committee on Personnel, Public Grieviances, Law abd Justice.

It stated that they will explain that there has to be a proper division of work between the CVC and the proposed Lokpal. The power of these two has to be made contradictory to hamper probe in corruption cases and added that they needed certain changes in it.

One of the official while refusing to disclose further details on CVc's presentation said that the panel should consider incorporating either the Central Vigilance Commissioner or one of the two Vigilance Commissioners into the Lokpal Bill for smooth functioning.

News Reported by AR for Newsvision online newspaper

Anna seeking publicity through protest, trying to "create crisis"

Accusing Anna Hazare of trying to create a crisis with the support of various internal forces Minister Narayanasamy on Sunday  asked him to call of his fast and to present his views on the Lokpal Bill before the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

He said that Anna Hazare is unfortunately trying to create a crisis for the government with the support of various internal forces. And added that these forces will be revealed to the public in due course of time.

He was quoted as saying Hazare had gone on fast although the UPA government had initiated measures to combat corruption and had brought in the Lokpal Bill which had since been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Narayanasamy said that the Prime Minister had made it clear that the Lokpal Bill needed consensus and the government was in favour of a strong and effective Lokpal Bill.

He said that Hazare should call off his fast and since the bill was before the Parliament, it alone could debate the provisions and could bring any change.

Hazare could place before the Parliamentary panel his suggestions and views on the provisions of the Lokpal Bill, it should contain. And if necessary, Hazare could also meet the leaders of all political parties for discussions.

Replying to a question, he said there could be no deadline for the passage of the Lokpal Bill as it had become the property of the Parliament.

News Reported by AR for News vision online news paper

Anna Hazare fever spreads to Hong Kong, Singapore, expat Indians joint protest

The Anna Hazare fever has spread to Hong Kong and Singapore with expatriateIndians holding  relay fasts, meetings and demonstrations. More demonstrations and plans to raise the funds for the programme in the  home country is being planned for the next weekend. Volunteers posted at the entry gates of subway stations in Hong Kong are distributing a two-paper leaflets explaining the necessity of Indians living abroad to express their support for the anti-corruption movement and comparing the official and Anna Hazare's  versions of the Lokpal Bill.

Another meeting is scheduled for coming Sunday when Pandey, a Hong Kong based IT expert who played a key role in organizing a meeting which was attended by 80 local Indians last Sunday and his friends expect a larger turnout. Plans include launching of funds so as to send as donations for Jan Lokpal movement in India. They also planto collect signatures of the attendees on a memorandum to be submitted to the Indian consulate in Hong Kong.

He added that they are also approaching the United Nations saying that the main principles in the UN convention against corruption have not been implemented in India.

A group of Indians based in Singapore have approached the local police for permission to hold a meeting at the speaker's corner, a place designated by the government for the purpose of holding protests. They are also implementing a signature drive in order to submit a memorandum to the Indian High Commissioner demanding implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Singapore is holding a presidential election on Saturday. Sharma expects the police to give him permission to hold the meeting on another day. He said that there is a huge amount of interest from Indian citizens involved in a wide range of professions in Singapore. He expects at least 700 people to turn up at the forthcoming meeting.

Indians in Hong Kong were early starters submitted a memorandum to the local Indian Counsel-General on April 9 and holding a bicycle rally with volunteers wearing t-shirt carrying the logo India Against Corruption on April 16.

News Reported by AR for Newsvision, the online newspaper blog

Demand a new Lokpal Bill, says Lokpal Bill

Activist Anna Hazare and his associates today on a Parliamentary meeting demanded a new Bill and suggested the Standing Committee should reject the Government's Lokpal Bill draft. Mr. Hazare and his team were asked by the government to meet the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 4 amid BJP's objection over  exclusion of the Prime Minister's office under the purview of the anti-corruption watchdog. The Bill is meant to check corruption among the politicians and bureaucrats. And Hazare team said that the government has drafted a Bill that ensures the Lokpal or Ombudsman has no real powers. In protest, Anna Hazare said that he is determined to begin a hunger fast on August 16 in the Capital. Hazare added that they are doing this for the public, for the country. There is nothing in the Bill which has been introduced in the Parliament. It is just a show off and has been drafted just to tell people that they have a law to fight corruption. It will be of no use. Along with four activist nominated by him, Anna was part of the drafting committee for the Bill. The government was represented by five ministers. Both the sides clashed repeatedly, resulting in two contrasting versions of the Lokpal Bill. The government has decided to present its minister's version in the Parliament.

Reported by AR

Bill will set up a Lokpal with no effective powers,says Karat

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said on Friday that the Lokpal Bill that has been introduced in the Parliament will set up a very weak Lokapal. He said that the bill will set up a very weak Lokpal and added that it will exclude from its ambit the office of Prime Minister, empowered the government in its removal and included government officials in the appointment of the Lokpal.

Mr. Karat emphasized that the overall policy framework under the neo-liberal regime itself creates and sustains corruption at the highest level. The problems of corruption, price rise, unemployment, farmer's distress, land grab and illegal mining are being created today because the ruling class and government have adopted neo-liberal policies and transfer of resources from the poor to the rich.

He also said that the government was refusing to act and change the policies on fuel prices, futures trading and the public distribution system that are essential in containing the escalation in prices of commodities.

He also pointed out that the, Bharatiya Janata Party has been protesting against the government's failure to curb price rise, voted with the Congress on a resolution on price rise.

Only the Left and some secular parties said that they were against the draft and demanded a roll back on the increase of fuel prices, which has only burdened the people.

Mr. Karat said the country had witnessed two decades of liberalization, which had brought growth to a narrow stratum of society.

He said that the government was facilitating the loot and plunder and the inequalities have grown.

He said the imprisonment of the former Union Telecom Minister A Raja, top bureaucrats and executives of corporations was only the tip of the iceberg.

Reported by

      AR

Team Anna burns lokpal bill draft, government cries insult

The government on Thursday slammed the burning of copies of the Lokpal Bill by Anna Hazare and his team members as an affront to Parliament, human resource development minister Kapil Sibal told reporters. Sibal added that if Hazare had different views on the Lokpal Bill, he should present these before the standing committee of Parliament.

As the government introduced the lokpal bill in the Lok Sabha, Hazare and his supporters burnt the copies of anti-draft law for excluding the office of the Prime Minister from its purview.

Hazare and his supporters set fire to copies of the bill in Maharashtra's Ralegaon Siddhi while his supporters Arvind Kejriwal, Prshant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi led the protests in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi area in Ghaziabad, a town of Delhi.

Hazare has threatened to go on fast on August 16 to protest the exclusion of some recommendations made by Civil Society representatives from the bill.

The legislation does not bring the Prime Minister under the purview of the Bill. But once he demits the office, he or she can be investigated by the lokpal for any wrongdoing.

It also excludes the judiciary from the purview of the bill and any action of an MP in Parliament or any Parliamentary Committee.

News Reported by AR