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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | UPA plans a slew of anti-graft laws by Smita Gupta

UPA plans a slew of anti-graft laws by Smita Gupta

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published Published on Sep 15, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 15, 2011

Comprises Lokpal Bill, laws on poll reforms, public disclosures and accountability of judges

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is planning to introduce a slew of anti-graft laws in the winter session of Parliament: apart from the Lokpal Bill, which is with a Standing Committee of Parliament, in the works are laws on electoral reforms, public procurement, service delivery to citizens, public disclosures, and accountability of judges, among others.

Union Ministers and members of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the media Salman Khursheed and V. Narayanasamy told this to journalists here on Wednesday.

All-party meeting

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would call an all-party meeting soon to discuss the nature of electoral reforms that were required, ranging from command and control of officials, to whether exit and pre-poll surveys should be permitted to the critical question of State funding, Mr. Khursheed said.

On the table would also be “the right to recall,” suggested by activist Anna Hazare, and the right to reject all candidates. This meeting would follow the six regional consultations the government has already had with a cross-section of society, the Minister added.

Simultaneously, Ministers are set to lose their discretionary powers on allotment of land, telephones and petrol pumps — the only exceptions will be the Union Home Ministry in the case of victims of Maoist violence and the Defence Ministry in the case of war widows.

Anna pressure?

On whether the government was acting under pressure from Mr. Hazare's campaign, Mr Narayanasamy pointed out that the Group of Ministers (GoM) on corruption was set up on January 6, 2011, following decisions taken at the Congress plenary in December last.

“Anna Hazare gave his views. We are considering it,” he said adding, “That does not mean whatever he says is going to be accepted. There are several other views also.”

Special CBI courts

The government would simultaneously undertake a series of measures to expedite corruption cases against public servants that included the setting up of 71 special CBI courts — of which 44 are already in place — to fast-track the roughly 10,000 pending cases, fixing a limit of three months to grant sanction for prosecution and strengthening the vigilance administration.

However, the Pranab Mukherjee-headed GoM that made these recommendations had suggested that the existing provision on summary dismissal of public servants who were caught red-handed should be diluted to permit one opportunity for an explanation.

Government orders to this effect would be issued soon, the two Ministers said. A new policy and bill on public procurement would be brought in the winter session to tackle corruption and make the procedure more transparent.

It would now be mandatory for the competent authority, including the Prime Minister and Ministers concerned, to take a decision and give a ‘speaking order' within a period of three months from the date of receipt of the request.

In case, permission to prosecute was withheld, Mr. Narayanasamy said, the competent authority would have to submit its reasons for refusal to the next higher authority for information within seven days.

A committee, headed by a Supreme Court judge, would be set up to study cases that were pending trial for more than 10 years and make recommendations for their speedy disposal or withdrawal.

The Hindu, 15 September, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2454424.ece


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