Lokpal panel still divided on inclusion of PM (Lead)
November 30th, 2011 - 11:01 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The parliamentary standing committee on law and justice, examining the Lokpal bill, is still divided over the inclusion of the prime minister within the ambit of the anti-graft ombudsman.
Sources said opposition members from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist plan to give dissenting notes to the panel on the issue.
Interestingly, Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan has also given a dissent note to the panel asking reservation for Dalit, backwards and minorities in the Lokpal.
Besides bringing the prime minister under the Lokpal, the other issue to be resolved is inclusion of lower bureaucracy under the anti-graft ombudsman.
While there is general agreement on bringing Group A and B staff under the Lokpal, some opposition members want the Group C and D staff also to be under the anti-graft ombudsman.
There is general agreement on a constitutional status for the Lokpal, retaining the autonomy of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Vigilance Commission, and keeping the judiciary out of its ambit, said sources.
Once the standing committee has submitted its recommendations to parliament, the government can introduce the Lokpal bill.
The development comes in the wake of reports that Anna Hazare plans to stage a day-long protest at Jantar Mantar Dec 11 demanding a strong Lokpal bill and an extended one at Ramlila Ground Dec 27-Jan 5 if the bill is not passed in the ongoing winter session of parliament.
- Lokpal panel still divided on inclusion of PM (Second Lead) - Nov 30, 2011
- BJP wants PM, CBI, lower bureaucracy under Lokpal - Dec 11, 2011
- Lokpal panel split on keeping Group C staff out (Lead) - Dec 01, 2011
- Lokpal report tabled, ombudsman to have constitutional status - Dec 09, 2011
- Lokpal panel report likely next week - Dec 05, 2011
- Anna gets Left, right support for strong Lokpal (Roundup) - Dec 11, 2011
- Lokpal panel finalises report, Team Anna rejects it - Dec 07, 2011
- Lokpal review panel debates inclusion of PMO - Nov 15, 2011
- 'PM, Group C employees may be brought under Lokpal ambit' - Dec 12, 2011
- Rahul to blame for Lokpal flip-flop, says Anna - Dec 02, 2011
- Confrontation looms as Lokpal report is tabled (Roundup) - Dec 09, 2011
- Team Anna urges people to protest 'weak' Lokpal bill - Dec 09, 2011
- Team Anna to discuss strategy for December protest - Dec 02, 2011
- Lokpal bill in parliament Thursday, Sonia says she will fight for it (Roundup) - Dec 21, 2011
- Lokpal bill with PM in but CBI out approved, Hazare furious (Roundup) - Dec 21, 2011
Tags: ambit, anna hazare, autonomy, bharatiya janata party, central bureau of investigation, central vigilance commission, communist party of india, constitutional status, dissent, jantar mantar, law and justice, lok, ombudsman, opposition members, parliamentary standing committee, party leader, ram vilas paswan, shakti, vilas, winter session