The idea of the first Jan Lokpal Bill dates back to as early as 1969, yet this democratic bill was always denied by the pseudo democratic government of India for the last 42 years. None of the Lokpal Bills introduced again and again in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008 passed the approval nod of our great Indian leaders simply because it threatened the supreme powers...
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An Act that lacks sting
Framed with a purpose of rooting away corruption, the Rajasthan Lokayukta and Up-Lokayuktas Act, 1973 seems to be only a paper tiger. Cited as one of the weakest Act in its kind in the country, it makes the Lokayukta's office a mere investigative body that gives recommendations. "We are just an investigative body that gives recommendations. We cannot take any punitive action. "Even for our investigation, we donot have agency assigned...
More »Centre sees hand of bigger forces by Sanjay K Jha
A section of the government suspects that “bigger forces” are using the fight against corruption to achieve their “not-so-noble goals” perhaps even unknown to Anna Hazare. Although nobody would go on record, senior functionaries said in private that the destabilising games of some corporate and even international players were behind “the entire show”. “The RSS and other anti-Congress elements might have jumped in with their own little vested interests but the real...
More »FAQ: What is Lok Pal Bill? Why the ruckus over it? by Kaushiki Sanyal
The Lok Pal (anti-corruption body) Bill has generated widespread interest in the past few days. The Bill is an attempt by the government, under massive pressure due to corruption charges, to gain some of its lost ground. However, civil rights activists, including Anna Hazare, Swami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, have termed the draft legislation as weak and demanded that fifty per cent of the members in the committee drafting...
More »What is the Jan Lokpal Bill, why it's important?
The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year. Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court...
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