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The recently re-constituted Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice will start holding discussion with the various stakeholders this week on the controversial Lokpal Bill. The panel headed by Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi will hear Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar on September 23 while CBI Director AP Singh will appear before it on the next day.
The committee, which has given a commitment to present its report on the Lokpal bill within three months, will also hear views of the dalit leader Udit Raj, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and legal luminary Harish Salve.
The committee is on a fast track mode as the government has already made a commitment in Parliament that the Lokpal bill will be passed in the Winter session. Since a number of people from various walks of life want to present their views on the contentious bill, the Committee will have to hold frequent meetings to finish its work on time.
The committee has already heard the views of Gandhian Anna Hazare and his team members who have been demanding that provisions of their Jan Lokpal Bill be included in the official Bill. They have been demanding that investigating agency CBI and CVC should be brought under the Lokpal, but both the agencies reportedly have reservations about it. The CVC is likely to suggest its representative should also be included in the Lokpal while CBI is reportedly against its bifurcation to bring its anti-corruption investigation wing under the Lokpal.
Meanwhile, dalit leader Udit Raj has been demanding that people from SC/ST and backward classes should get representation in the Lokpal to protect their rights. Roy feels that the Jan Lokpal bill is too simplistic and has already prepared her own version of the bill which is also under consideration of the panel while Salve is opposed to the civil society's version of the Bill.
Apart from the opinion of these stakeholders, the committee has to take into account the “sense of the House” resolution adopted by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha following extensive debate during which members from various parties had expressed their views on the Lokpal bill.
The committee, which has given a commitment to present its report on the Lokpal bill within three months, will also hear views of the dalit leader Udit Raj, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and legal luminary Harish Salve.
The committee is on a fast track mode as the government has already made a commitment in Parliament that the Lokpal bill will be passed in the Winter session. Since a number of people from various walks of life want to present their views on the contentious bill, the Committee will have to hold frequent meetings to finish its work on time.
The committee has already heard the views of Gandhian Anna Hazare and his team members who have been demanding that provisions of their Jan Lokpal Bill be included in the official Bill. They have been demanding that investigating agency CBI and CVC should be brought under the Lokpal, but both the agencies reportedly have reservations about it. The CVC is likely to suggest its representative should also be included in the Lokpal while CBI is reportedly against its bifurcation to bring its anti-corruption investigation wing under the Lokpal.
Meanwhile, dalit leader Udit Raj has been demanding that people from SC/ST and backward classes should get representation in the Lokpal to protect their rights. Roy feels that the Jan Lokpal bill is too simplistic and has already prepared her own version of the bill which is also under consideration of the panel while Salve is opposed to the civil society's version of the Bill.
Apart from the opinion of these stakeholders, the committee has to take into account the “sense of the House” resolution adopted by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha following extensive debate during which members from various parties had expressed their views on the Lokpal bill.
