Change of venue: Jan Lokpal from Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium now
1 Feb 2014 5:45 AM IST
Delhi Cabinet on Friday recommended a special assembly session at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on 16 February to pass the Delhi Lokpal Bill-2014. Earlier, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that the Bill will be passed from Ramlila Ground.
In meeting also decided that the assembly session would be held from 13 to 16 February.
The decision to change the venue comes after the Delhi police denied permission to hold the session in Ramlila Ground owing to security reasons.
In addition to this, Ramlila Ground is not a closed space and the Speaker cannot monitor the proceedings of the House from there.
The meeting, presided over by Kejriwal, deliberated on the draft Bill that features several strict measures to contain corruption such as confiscation of assets of officials and not allowing any retirement benefits, including pension to them, if found guilty.
The chief minister’s office as well as Delhi Development Authority, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi police have also been kept under the ambit of the Bill, said officials.
This provision may be opposed by the Centre as all the three agencies report directly to the Home Ministry. Kejriwal said a final decision on the Bill will be taken by the cabinet on Monday. PWD minister Manish Sisodia said the cabinet decided to call the assembly session from 13 to 16 February and the House will sit at the Indira Gandhi stadium on the last day of the session where public will also be invited to attend.
The Cabinet decision on convening the assembly session will now have to be cleared by lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung.
A senior official said the draft Bill seeks life imprisonment as maximum punishment, while six months in jail has been proposed as minimum punishment. The maximum time for investigation has been kept at 12 months.
As per the draft Bill, the anti-corruption branch of Delhi government will be merged with Lokayukta. Lokayukta can take suo motto cognisance of corruption charges as well as prosecute the corrupt officials.
There will be two wings of the Lokayukta, an investigation wing and a prosecution wing. In the Lokayukta panel, there will be one Lokpal and 10 other members, who will be selected by a seven-member committee. The selection committee comprises chief minister, leader of Opposition, two sitting High Court judges, one previous Lokayukta and two eminent personalities who will be selected by other members.
‘There is no caveat on filing corruption charges against any public servant including the Chief Minister. Any general public or government official can complain to Lokayukta about corruption cases as per the draft bill,’ added the official.
DDA vice-chair concerned over Jan lokpal
Siddheshwar Shukla
New Delhi: The newly appointed vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority has expressed concern over bringing DDA under Delhi’s proposed Lokpal as it falls within the jurisdiction of Union government. ‘Parliament has already enacted a law to set up Lokpal to look into all the cases of corruption by employees of Central government. How will Delhi government bring DDA under its state Lokpal,’ asked Balvinder Kumar, vice-chairman of DDA.
Kumar is the first IAS officer to express his concerns in public. As per sources, the officers of Delhi police, IAS officers, Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services are also opposing the move of Delhi government to bring them under Lokpal, but they have so far remained tight lipped.
‘It’s against the federal structure of the Constitution where a state government is demanding every right on employees of Central government. It’s very dangerous situation. We are not against Jan Lokpal but employees of Central government should not be answerable to state governments,’ said a senior officer of DDA.
In meeting also decided that the assembly session would be held from 13 to 16 February.
The decision to change the venue comes after the Delhi police denied permission to hold the session in Ramlila Ground owing to security reasons.
In addition to this, Ramlila Ground is not a closed space and the Speaker cannot monitor the proceedings of the House from there.
The meeting, presided over by Kejriwal, deliberated on the draft Bill that features several strict measures to contain corruption such as confiscation of assets of officials and not allowing any retirement benefits, including pension to them, if found guilty.
The chief minister’s office as well as Delhi Development Authority, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi police have also been kept under the ambit of the Bill, said officials.
This provision may be opposed by the Centre as all the three agencies report directly to the Home Ministry. Kejriwal said a final decision on the Bill will be taken by the cabinet on Monday. PWD minister Manish Sisodia said the cabinet decided to call the assembly session from 13 to 16 February and the House will sit at the Indira Gandhi stadium on the last day of the session where public will also be invited to attend.
The Cabinet decision on convening the assembly session will now have to be cleared by lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung.
A senior official said the draft Bill seeks life imprisonment as maximum punishment, while six months in jail has been proposed as minimum punishment. The maximum time for investigation has been kept at 12 months.
As per the draft Bill, the anti-corruption branch of Delhi government will be merged with Lokayukta. Lokayukta can take suo motto cognisance of corruption charges as well as prosecute the corrupt officials.
There will be two wings of the Lokayukta, an investigation wing and a prosecution wing. In the Lokayukta panel, there will be one Lokpal and 10 other members, who will be selected by a seven-member committee. The selection committee comprises chief minister, leader of Opposition, two sitting High Court judges, one previous Lokayukta and two eminent personalities who will be selected by other members.
‘There is no caveat on filing corruption charges against any public servant including the Chief Minister. Any general public or government official can complain to Lokayukta about corruption cases as per the draft bill,’ added the official.
DDA vice-chair concerned over Jan lokpal
Siddheshwar Shukla
New Delhi: The newly appointed vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority has expressed concern over bringing DDA under Delhi’s proposed Lokpal as it falls within the jurisdiction of Union government. ‘Parliament has already enacted a law to set up Lokpal to look into all the cases of corruption by employees of Central government. How will Delhi government bring DDA under its state Lokpal,’ asked Balvinder Kumar, vice-chairman of DDA.
Kumar is the first IAS officer to express his concerns in public. As per sources, the officers of Delhi police, IAS officers, Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services are also opposing the move of Delhi government to bring them under Lokpal, but they have so far remained tight lipped.
‘It’s against the federal structure of the Constitution where a state government is demanding every right on employees of Central government. It’s very dangerous situation. We are not against Jan Lokpal but employees of Central government should not be answerable to state governments,’ said a senior officer of DDA.
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