Lokpak: How it began
Folks,
Basically we've been hearing in the news about
Lokpal and about and its status and has always been under the scanner
from the past year. Giving you an overview and the series of events.
Lokpal
bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha during 1977-79 by Shanti
Bhushan(whose son Prasanth Bhushan is in Team Anna) but it did'nt get
passed then. So, many drafts were prepared in the meantime but never
introduced into the lower house(Lok Sabha).
In 2010, a
draft of the Lokpal bill was made which was criticized by social
activist as an ineffective bill. In 2011, a group of anti-corruption
activists formed
India against Corruption and organized various public awareness drives and spread it throughout India. In april,
Anna Hazare with his indefinite fast until an effective bill was passed and their version was named
Jan Lokpal Bill . This shot him into instant fame and many youth were inspired and joined this agitation.
The campaign for a corruption free India began in January 2011 in the backdrop of the publicity that surrounded around the several eye opening scams that surfaced in 2010,mainly Commonwealth Games 2010 and 2G spectrum scam collectively amounting to 2 lakh crores.
What is it about?
Lokpal bill is a citizen's ombudsman bill(anti corruption law with a proposed administrative body) refers to appointing an administrative body which investigate corruption cases at a fast pace and recover the loss due to a corrupted person when he is blamed for being corrupt.
Basically, with Lokpal we can have fast processing of cases and with CBI being an independent body for investigation it will not be under any pressures from the Ministers or bureaucrats and also increases the transparency in many transactions regarding Govt. projects.
Features of Lokpal Bill:
1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up
2.
Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely
independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able
to influence their investigations.
3. Cases against corrupt
people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case
will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next
one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to
jail within two years.
4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.
5.
How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not
done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose
financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as
compensation to the complainant.
6. So, you could approach Lokpal
if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if
police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done
in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time.
You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being
siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds
being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a
year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to
jail within two years.
7. But won't the government appoint
corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible
because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and
constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely
transparent and participatory process.
8. What if some officer
in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta
will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of
Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two
months.
9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies?
CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be
merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to
independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or
politician.
10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide
protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice
against corruption.
My view:
There is a growing debate on proposed Lokpal and its difference with the Jan LOkpal wanted by the civil society . Implementing Jan Lokpal is practically impossible as it leads to making many amendments to the constitution . Rather than fighting for the near perfect bill , first to get a bill with mediocre features and then further improvising it is better.
Anyways, lokpal bill was passed in Lok Sabha, but the astounding fact is that it was not going to be passed in Rajya Sabha(which was expected ) . We have to wait until the next session starts.
