New bill allows probe against prime minister, with riders

Though the Government buckled under pressure from the Team Anna and some opposition parties to include the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal, it inserted certain riders in the new Bill that the Minister for State for Personnel, Public Grievance and Pension, V Narayansamy, introduced in Lok Sabha after withdrawing the older version tabled on August 4 last.

The new Bill seeks to bar the Lokpal from inquiring into any graft allegation against an incumbent or former Prime Minister, if the complaint is in anyway related to international relations, external and internal security, public order, atomic energy and space.

The Lokpal can initiate an inquiry into an allegation of corruption against the Prime Minister or someone, who held the top office in the past, only if a full bench of the proposed nine-member institution of ombudsman considers the case and at least three-fourth of its members give the nod for an inquiry.

It also says that the inquiry into a former or incumbent Prime Minister will have to be conducted in camera and away from media or public glare and, if the complaint is dismissed after probe, its records will be kept secret.

Empowering the proposed Lokpal to probe graft-allegations against the Prime Minister has been a contentious issue, with Anna Hazare and his aides as well as Bharatiya Janata Party and several other opposition parties insisting on it.

The original Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament empowered the Lokpal to probe graft allegations against the former Prime Ministers only.
Though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had wanted to bring himself and his office under the purview of the Lokpal, a meeting of the Union Cabinet while clearing the original Bill had decided to keep the chief executive of the government immune to probe by the ombudsman.

The Government argued that empowering the Lokpal to inquire into allegations against an incumbent Prime Minister might result in uncertainty and political instability. According to the new Bill, the Lokpal is empowered to probe former or incumbent Union Ministers and MPs too.

An expensive Lokpal

According to the Lokpal Bill, establishing of the institution would involve a non-recurring expenditure of Rs 100 crore and a recurring expenditure of Rs 200 crore in a financial year, reports DHNS from New Delhi. An additional expenditure of Rs 400 crore would be needed if it becomes necessary to construct a building to house the Lokpal.