Govt. to introduce Lokpal bill in Lok Sabha today

The UPA government on Thursday is set to introduce government's version of anti-corruption Lokpal Bill before the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament after the question hour. The team Anna's version will be added only as an annexure.

The cabinet cleared the bill last week and it was decided that the post of Prime Minister would be exempted from bill. The investigation against him/her will only go on after leaving the post.

This is the major difference between government's version and team Anna's version of Lokpal bill.

The Lokpal bill has been drafted to deter the corruption in the government machinery and the Lokpal in central and Lokayukta in the states would have the authority to enquire against any government officer, bureaucrat, minister, MPs, MLAs, Judge and all those who get any types of government benefits.

But, the team Anna is not satisfied from this bill and Anna Hazare has warned the government to go for the 'anshan' (hunger strike) from 16th August if government does not accept their version.

'The government version of Lokpal bill is only paperwork and does not provide any help the poor, helpless and needy person. Actually, government indeed does not want to introduce the 'real' 'Jan Lokpal bill' that will help the poor and helpless', team Anna claims.

'The toothless and pawless bill is not Lokpal bill, it's a Dhokpal (Betrayal) Bill,' said Kiran Bedi, a member of team Anna.

For making this bill, government has organised a panel of 10 members ? five from government side and 5 from public side ? in this May. However, the members from both the side could not get the ground of common agreement, and the member of the public side did not join the meetings of drafting Lokpal bill.

Here is the key difference in both the versions:

• Team Anna wants Prime Minister to brought under the Lokpal while government wants to prosecute the particular person only after leaving the post of Prime Minister.


• Team Anna wants to cover the Chief Justice of India under the Lokpal, but the government is willing to introduce a separate judicial accountability bill under which CJI will come.


• The conduct of MPs in Parliament should be brought under Lokpal, asks team Anna but the government is arguing that it will need constitutional amendment.


• To sharpen the power, team Anna wants to include CBI and CVC into Lokpal, but the government bill says Lokpal will have independent prosecution wing and judicial powers.


• Government is favouring to include more politicians in the selection panel for Lokpal while team Anna wants to add more judges, administrators, CAG and CVC.


• To combat the power of red tapeism, Team Anna wants to bring the entire bureaucracy under the Lokpal, while the government wants only the higher bureaucrats.

This is the ninth time; the Lokpal is being introduced in the Lok Sabha after India's independent. Earlier it was introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008 in the Lok Sabha but it failed every time in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament.