Rajnath Singh-led panel meets to discuss Lokpal
Sources said that issues related to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 were among the issues discussed.
New Delhi: An inter-ministerial group, headed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh, met on Wednesday to asses various aspects related to constituting the proposed anti-corruption body Lokpal. Other senior ministers present in the meeting were finance minister Arun Jaitley, I&B minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and minister of state in the PMO Jitendra Singh among others.
Sources said that issues related to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 were among the issues discussed.
The report submitted by the parliamentary standing committee that reviewed the Lokpal Act was also examined by the group of ministers (GoM). According to the provisions of the Lokpal Act, the Centre has to set up the Lokpal while states have to constitute Lokayuktas to investigate cases of corruption among public servants.
A Bill to amend the Lokpal Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 2014 following which it was subsequently referred to a parliamentary standing committee that submitted its report in December 2015.
One of the important amendments to the Act was to allow the leader of the largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha, in case there was no Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to be part of the selection panel that would appoint the chairperson and members of Lokpal.
The selection committee, headed by the Prime Minister, has as its members the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him as well as an eminent jurist who could be nominated by the President or any other member.