JOIN USParliament on Thursday put its stamp of approval on a bill to propel the appointment process of the next Centre Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief for the NDA government, which does not have an official Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha.
According to the bill, the leader of the single largest opposition party, instead of the Leader of Opposition would now be on the selection panel for the CBI chief, which also comprises the prime minister and the chief justice of India. Further, the selection process would not be stalled if a member of the panel is absent.
After a brief discussion, the Rajya Sabha passed the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2014.
Piloting the bill, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the House was required to pass the bill urgently as the new CBI director would have to be appointed by December 2.
Jaitley said the bill’s language was changed to ensure that even if no party had the requisite number to be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the leader of the largest opposition party would be drafted in the panel.
DH News Service