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PTI / The Hindu.
Civil society members Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal address the media after the last meeting of the Lokpal panel, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (below) Union Minister Kapil Sibal talks to the media after the meeting - PTI.
Lokpal was originally conceived, about 43 years ago, to contain corruption at high political offices.
Making it an omnibus institution to curb corruption from the topmost Indian constitutional offices to the lowest village level revenue officials sounds ridiculous as much as impractical.
Lokpal better be confined to be the watch on the high political offices, since there are already enough laws to take care of corruption at other levels.
Powers to tap phones, issuance of letters rogatory and recommendations for changes in work practices to reduce scope for corruption are among the proposals made by the Anna Hazare team in their Jan Lokpal Bill which do not find a mention in the government draft.
The draft submitted to the joint committee on Lokpal Bill by the Hazare team also seeks power to the proposed ombudsman to acquire modern equipment necessary for proper investigation and inquire into the assets declaration statements filed by all MPs.
According to the Jan Lokpal Bill, an approporiate bench of Lokpal shall be deemed to be “designated authority under Section V of the Indian Telegraph Act empowered to approve interception and monitoring of messages of data or voice transmitted through telephones, Internet or any other medium...”
In the powers and functions of the Lokpal and its officers section of the civil society’s draft, the ombudsman can authorise a bench of the Lokpal to issue letters rogatory in relation to any case pending investigation.
This provision is in contrast to the stand taken by the Hazare team in the fourth meeting of the joint drafting committee held on May 23 when lawyer Shanti Bhushan clarified that the intent was to allow Lokpal to directly approach the court for letters rogatory and not to route such requests through the government.
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