Lokpal: panel calls CVC, CBI chief

Anna representative, Aruna Roy will also be present

GN Bureau | August 29, 2011



The parliamentary standing committee on the Lokpal bill will meet here on September 7 to decide its procedure to fast-track the comprehensive exercise for formulating a strong legislation and kick off its work by hearing CBI director A P Singh and Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Pradeep Kumar who have been sent notices to appear before it on that date.

In its earlier meeting convened by chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, members felt the committee's hearings should start with these two since they are the authorities dealing with corruption that will come under the ambit of the Lokpal to investigate and prosecute the corruption cases.

Apart from them, a representative of Team Anna, activist Aruna Roy and Additional Solicitor General Amarjeet Singh Chandhlok have also been asked to appear before the standing committee on September 7.

The government's Lokpal bill that is being examined by the Standing Committee envisages a separate and independent investigation wing to probe offences committed by the senior public servants, including ministers, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Since these offences are presently investigated by the CBI, the committee wants to understand from its chief on any possible clash of its work with the Lokpal. It will also elicit from the CBI chief suggestions, based on his experience, that can make the Lokpal a strong body.

Both the CVC and the CBI chief will be also quizzed on Team Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill proposing that the Lokpal should probe corruption of all central government employees and that the CBI's anti-corruption wing be transferred in toto to the Lokpal as its investigation wing.

If the committee concedes that the Lokpal should have jurisdiction over all central staff, the job of the CBI would be limited to probe the criminal acts while the CVC would be left with no role as it is basically meant to supervise the CBI and monitor the vigilance cases of the central ministries and PSUs through the chief vigilance officers.

Comments

 

Other News

Mumbai’s missing affordable homes

Mumbai’s real estate market keeps growing, yet homeownership remains out of reach for much of its population. Three experts – urban researcher Hussain Indorewala, urban planner Vidyadhar Phatak and developer Kamlesh Thakur of NAREDCO Maharashtra, agree that simply constructing more apartments

Rubio denies US foreknowledge of Starlink restrictions in Ukraine

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said he was unfamiliar with the Wall Street Journal report suggesting Elon Musk had decided to throttle Starlink services in Ukraine, but rejected claims that Washington had ordered the restrictions to pressure Kyiv.   “There was no

Can AI change India’s breast cancer story?

Breast cancer has become a public-health challenge in India. The greatest opportunity is to find cancers earlier. Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening a new era in breast cancer detection. AI systems can analyse mammograms and other breast-imaging studies, identify subtle abnormalities and assist radi

Farm stability in the time of climate change

Indian agriculture is experiencing significant climate volatility, while the world economy seems to be in a highly volatile situation. Economic indices from various countries show that they need to recalibrate their strategies to withstand economic headwinds. In such a challenging situation, a country li

El Niño threatens India’s Rabi crops

India’s southwest monsoon ended with a 13% rainfall deficit in 2026, its weakest performance in a decade, raising concerns over agricultural production, water security and the upcoming rabi season. With El Niño expected to persist into early 2027, experts warn that declining soil moisture, dep

Regulating the data advantage: India’s new e-Commerce framework

For over a decade, India’s e-commerce story has rested on a simple premise: platforms connect buyers and sellers, while data fuels efficiency, personalisation, and scale. However, as the market matured, its structure has revealed a growing imbalance. E-commerce platforms, especially marketplace ent

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter