Thaindian News

Hyderabad, Dec 26 (IANS) Loksatta president Jayaprakash Narayan says there are “significant deficiencies” in the Lokpal bill tabled in parliament but these can be removed through debate. He is against putting the lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal, saying it must only go after the “big fish”.

Narayan feels the Lokpal should have suo-moto powers, Anti-Corruption Bureaus (ACBs) in states should be made autonomous and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ACBs should face no curbs before going after corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

JP, as Narayan is widely known, submitted to the parliamentary standing committee a version of Lokpal bill on behalf of civil society groups.

JP told IANS that public pressure has worked and the bill tabled in parliament is much better than thought a year ago.

He also spoke against the standoff between civil society and parliament over the Lokpal bill.

“This notion of we versus them is not healthy for democracy. People and parliament both are important,” he said, when asked to comment on the three-day fast Anna Hazare will launch in Mumbai Tuesday.

“Harsh language should give way to reasoned public debate and civilized discourse,” said JP, a member of Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly.

JP, who resigned as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer in 1990s to launch a movement for democratic reforms, feels political parties in parliament have responded.

“There are significant deficiencies in the bill. There is no suo moto power for Lokpal to start an inquiry without a complaint. (This) is not wise.

“The job of Lokpal has to be informal, intelligence gathering and go after the big fish. In the bill, the role of Lokpal is only mechanical and reactive.

“It has to be innovative and proactive in order to be ready to go after the big fish.

“The problem (corruption) is serious in states. The whole debate on Lokpal was on presumption that the challenge of corruption is only at the national level.

“Unless ACBs in states are made autonomous and its directors and other officers are appointed independently, we will not achieve the desired results,” he added.

He also opposed burdening Lokpal and Lok Ayuktas with all the cases.

“Lokpal can be effective only if it goes after big fish - that is politicians and top bureaucrats. Burdening it with cases of lower-level bureaucracy will dilute its authority.

“Criminal Procedure Code, Police Act, Indian Penal Code all are laws made by parliament. When they did not curtail freedom of state how will this law curtail it?” he asked.