A crucial Bill on checking corruption was on Monday referred to a Select Committee after members in the Rajya Sabha raised objections over certain clauses, arguing that these overlap with provisions of the Lokpal Act and more clarity was needed on these.
The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, pending before the Rajya Sabha for long, provides for more stringent punishment for the offences of bribery, both for the giver and taker by amending the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It seeks to enhance penalty for graft to a maximum of seven years from the existing five, among other new provisions to check the menace.
When the Bill was moved in the House on December 3, Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), had advocated caution on the measure saying that the new law, instead of checking the menace, will increase corruption and make elected representatives more vulnerable.
Soon after the discussion began on Monday, SP’s Naresh Agrawal said powers vested by amendments, which the government wants to bring in the Bill, have already been given to Lokpal by the Supreme Court. “So what is the relevance of passing this Bill when everything will be decided by Lokpal. Refer this Bill to a Select Committee,” he said. He went to the extent of saying, “I am not in agreement with Lokpal. My party is also not in agreement with Lokpal. This will create a parallel system.”