Govt wants to dish a toothless Lokpal Bill

The New Indian Express Last Updated : 01 Jun 2011 01:24:49 AM IST
Considering that it took the government four decades to produce what was called a ‘toothless’ Lokpal Bill, only the naïve would have expected the joint committee comprising ministers and civil society representatives to reach an agreement after a few meetings. In fact, it was only because the scam-tainted government lost its nerve in the wake of Anna Hazare’s fast that it agreed to the formation of the committee. If the number of scandals affecting it were fewer, it would have stubbornly refused to accept the demand. But, now, having accepted it, the battle-scarred ministers are pursuing the expected path of shooting down any suggestion which will open up the government and the political class to closer scrutiny.
So, the government has rejected any proposal to bring the prime minister, the MPs, the judiciary and officials below the rank of a joint secretary within the Lokpal’s ambit. What this means is that the ombudsman will have no say in the affairs of a very large section of the political class as well as the judiciary. Instead, its jurisdiction will cover only a few thousand civil servants above the joint secretary’s rank. The other proposal which has been rejected by the government relates to the merging of the CVC, the CBI’s anti-corruption section and the investigating wings of the various departments in the Lokpal. Though the official side hasn’t spelt out the reason for the rejection, it probably fears that the merger will create too gargantuan a bureaucracy for effective functioning.
Having said ‘no’ to nearly all of the civil society’s proposals, the government has taken recourse to another time-consuming ploy — seeking the views of the states and political parties. While the present logjam may be compounded by a prolonged stalemate as these responses are awaited, it is necessary for the civil society to remain patient. Even as the government tries all the tricks in the book to wear out Anna Hazare and Co, it is for the civil society to remain in the battlefield till it achieves its objective — or, if it fails, expose the government’s insincerity.