Team Anna Writes to PM, Wants CBI Under Lokpal


New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS): Team Anna, in an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and parliamentarians Sunday, hoped the best possible anti-graft law will emerge from the debate in "the people's Houses" and called for merging the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with the proposed Lokpal.

Hazare's India Against Corruption is "keen that the best possible law" emerges from the debate in the "people's Houses (parliament)", he said.

"While we are on record with our displeasure over the current draft of the bill, we are also keen that the best possible law should now emerge from the debate in the people's Houses," the letter said.

Parliament's winter session was to end Dec 22 but has been extended Dec 27-29 to discuss the anti-graft Lokpal bill. Hazare will be fast on these three days and has also announced a 'jail bharo' Dec 30-31.

Team Anna said the Lokpal and Lokayuktas should be able to carry out investigations through the anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which should be merged into the Lokpal, and the anti-corruption bureaus and state vigilance departments in states should be similarly merged into Lokayuktas.

The other option they have given is for the Lokpal and Lokayuktas to have their own investigative wings which should have exclusive jurisdiction over corruption cases.

Another option is of giving the Lokpal and Lokayuktas administrative and financial control over the CBI.

They said the appointment of a CBI director should be independent of any political control.

They also demanded that the selection of Lokpal should be through consensus of the selection panel and the selection committee should have the prime minister, Leader of Opposition, two judges to be nominated by the collegium of Supreme Court judges, comptroller and auditor general, central vigilance commission and chief election commissioner.

They said the lower bureaucracy should be under the Lokpal.

"Without these provisions, the Lokpal bill will be just another law - one among many that have proven ineffective so far.

Team Anna also said that although their opposition to some portions of the bill proposed and introduced in parliament by the central government remains, they want parliamentarians to include some of their points too.

They said they want the Lokpal and Lokayuktas to suo motu initiate their own investigations, without a complaint or reference from anyone.

"It should also not be required to alert the accused through preliminary enquiry or hearing before filing an FIR (First Information Report)," they said, adding this was recommended by the parliamentary panel that examined the Lokpal bill.

In the letter, it said : "The year-long people's campaign against corruption has brought us to the very edge of legislation that can tackle it powerfully."

"Sensing the national mood, parliament has also taken it upon itself to foster a significant debate on the issues within the Bill, and for this we thank our elected representatives."

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • Anoop PT, Kottayam

    Tue, Dec 27 2011

    LOKPAL IS NOT THE CORRECT WAY.

    Everyone is talking about removing corruption through lokpal.The bill itself means negative.It is not the way to remove corruption by surrendering sovereignty of our parliament .Parliament MP s are not only politicians.They are elected by people of India.So the parliament is supreme.We should accept that system with all its drawbacks.
    We are the members of democracy and we are not the members of an order.That is right.But in many situation we should be the members of an order.So give prime minister a power to take a decision.
    Do not allow lokpal.Think about a new bill like right information act ,which is having a positive meaning and capable of removing corruption.

    Anoop P T
    Kottayam

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Anoop PT, Kottayam

    Tue, Dec 27 2011

    LOKPAL IS NOT THE CORRECT WAY.

    Everyone is talking about removing corruption through lokpal.The bill itself means negative.It is not the way to remove corruption by surrendering sovereignty of our parliament .Parliament MP s are not only politicians.They are elected by people of India.So the parliament is supreme.We should accept that system with all its drawbacks.
    We are the members of democracy and we are not the members of an order.That is right.But in many situation we should be the members of an order.So give prime minister a power to take a decision.
    Do not allow lokpal.Think about a new bill like right information act ,which is having a positive meaning and capable of removing corruption.

    Anoop P T
    Kottayam

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Team Anna Writes to PM, Wants CBI Under Lokpal



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.