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No consensus on PM under Lokpal purview

The first public consultation on the Lokpal Bill failed to reach a consensus on whether the office of the Prime Minister should be under the purview of the corruption watchdog but agreed that a different mechanism needed to be evolved for the judiciary in the nature of the National Judicial Commission.

The day-long consultation at the India International Centre was attended by senior judicial officials of the country, top legal luminaries and some of the members of the joint drafting committee, including co-chair Shanti Bhushan and Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. It was organized by Lok Satta, Transparency International and CMS.

Former chief justices M N Venkatachaliah and J S Verma, while talking about the deliberations, underlined the need to ensure accountability of the higher judiciary said it would not do to "burden" the Lokpal with that and a separate mechanism was required.

"As for the Prime Minister's Office, there was consensus that there is a need for accountability but there were very strong views on both sides regarding whether that should be in the shape of only political accountability or it should be brought under the jurisdiction on the Lokpal," Jayaparakash Narayana of Lok Satta, who moderated the discussion, said.

All three time and again reiterated the supremacy of Parliament but the two former chief justices lauded the involvement of civil society and hoped that this would help in the smooth passage of the bill as and when it is placed before Parliament.

"Civil society has rediscovered itself and I congratulate both the government as well as civil society for initiating a fruitful debate," said Justice Venkatachaliah.