Click to play videoNew Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the draft of the Lokpal Bill on Tuesday according to which the anti-corruption body can supervise only those cases of corruption that are referred to it.
The draft accessed by CNN-IBN reveals that the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India will choose the Lokpal. The proceedings to remove the Lokpal can be initiated if 100 MPs back it.
Sources say the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will report back on only those cases of corruption to Lokpal which are referred to it by the anti-corruption body.
CBI's administration control will remain under Department of Personnel and Training while the lower bureaucracy will be covered by the Central Vigilance Commission with the Lokpal having oversight/appellate powers.
The Lokpal cannot investigate suo moto on complaints, sources said. Moreover, upto 50 per cent reservation has also been proposed in the Lokpal.
However, Team Anna rejected the proposed Bill, accusing the Government of pushing forward a worthless and unacceptable legislation.
Key Anna Hazare aide and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan said that Bill proposed by the Government leaves no option but to resume the anti-corruption agitation.
"If Lokpal will not have administrative control and remains only investigating agency then there is no point in having a Lokpal. If the government is controlling it (CBI), then there is conflict of interest. Therefore agency which has no independent will have no use. The government have the power of posting, promotion etc and they can influence the agency," said Prashant Bhushan.
"It is unacceptable to us. This will leave us with no option but for Anna to go on fast. The selection committee has been narrowed down. We suggested broad based committee for selection. It is totally rejected by us. There can be no compromise on these issues," he said.
Another important Team Anna member and former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi blamed the Government of wasting its time.
"The idea was to set free the CBI from the Government control and Lokpal was supposed to take over as an independent investigative agency. If the CBI is not under Lokpal then the Government is only wasting its time," said Kiran Bedi.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal said that the Government is not delaying the Lokpal Bill
"The time has been allocated for the Bill. It is for the Government to fix any date. There is no delay on part of the Government. The Bill is ready. Members of Parliament felt session needs to be extended, so it has been," said Bansal.
Bansal's deputy, Harish Rawat, said that the Lokpal Bill will be placed in Parliament on December 27 as the winter session has been extended.
The draft will be placed before the Union Cabinet on Tuesday evening. The Lokpal Bill will be introduced in Parliament on December 27 after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government decided to extend the winter session till December 29 to discuss and pass the anti-corruption legislation.
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