Very few bills have triggered as much of controversy, heat and debate as did the Lokpal and Lokayukt Bill, ever since treasury benches had somewhat reluctantly accepted it for introduction in the Lok Sabha. Approval was given in December 2011. But at the level of Rajya Sabha, it did not have smooth sailing, and the house constituted a select committee to consider afresh the clauses of the bill so that it met the requirement of empowering the Lokpal with sufficient powers and jurisdiction if corruption was sought to be eradicated on all levels of administration.
The introduction of the bill was forced by a spate of scams that scandalized the UPA II Government during past three years. Mired in technicalities and legalities, the Congress-led UPA Government treaded each step with utmost caution and without being hasty to the extent that some began thinking the Government was either non-serious or deliberately avoided accepting an institution that people of this country wanted to invest with extraordinary powers.
Now after the Rajya Sabha passed the revised bill by accepting the amendments made by the Select Committee, the Lok Sabha, too, has given its nod to the bill. In next one month or two the bill will be made into Act which, by any standard, is a landmark piece of legislation in the 65-years of the history of our democracy. Interestingly, the revised bill encompasses tougher provisions in comparison to the bill that had received the nod of Lok Sabha in 2011. The bill now will set up a strong anti-corruption Ombudsman to probe corruption in high places. The Prime Minister, all Ministers and senior public servants will come under the purview of Lokpal.
Commentators believe that the pressure on UPA Government mounted for passing the bill after Congress received drubbing at the hands of Aam Admi Party in Delhi elections to legislative assembly. Fight against corruption combined with ensuring accountability had been the planks which AAP exploited in election campaigns to garner so many seats in these elections. However, Samajwadi Party led Mulayam Singh and Shiv Sena members in the Parliament opposed the passing of the bill in its revised form just because in their view it did not disengage Lokpal from the iron-grip of bureaucracy and CBI. SP led by Mulayam Singh staged a walkout from the session. He said that an MLA or an MP will be subjected to interrogation by a policeman and that would be an unhealthy precedent for democracy. AAP which has also opposed the present Lokpal bill said that the Lokayukta being appointed by the States, will not be a body free from the influence of local political chapters. They were not convinced that the appointment of Lokayukta would be fair or that he would run his office without fear and favour.
The social worker Anna Hazare, who had initiated anti-corruption movement and had gone on fast twice in the past and was again running the ninth day of his current hunger strike, broke his fast soon after the bill was finally passed in the Lok Sabha. He called it a day of victory for the people of the country because they had waited full sixty-four long years to see the watchdog institution created to counter corruption. Anna said that it was a great day for all including opposition who had felt the pulse of the nation and supported the bill at the time of its passage.
Obviously passing of the bill, no doubt a great achievement is not the end-all of the nation-wide struggle led by Anna and followed by millions of Indians. The real achievement will be when the provisions of the bill will be implemented in letter and in spirit. Anna Hazare had special praise for the members of the Select Committee for adding some more clauses to the draft bill which gave it real teeth. The fact that the Prime Minister will also come under the purview of Lokpal is something that is extraordinarily significant. There are many important clauses in the bill that can go a long way in ensuring that corruption can be controlled. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, commenting on the passage of the bill, has said that the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill is part of the comprehensive anti-corruption framework which the Government is contemplating. Thus we find that the entire political structure in the country and the governing component are activated to coordinate efforts to eradicate the menace of corruption.
Evidently a great deal of spade work had to be done by the stakeholders before the bill came up for debate in the Rajya Sabha. It was a foregone conclusion that the BJP would support it because the party would not want to take the onus of disrupting the passage of the bill and leave a bad taste in the mouth of the voters for next parliamentary elections.
Obviously the strong bureaucracy and higher echelons of administrative structure may not be that happy because the revised bill extends it arms to reach them also. They will be devoid of impunity which they had otherwise managed to secure for themselves. But a dispassionate observer will say that honest and dedicated top ranking bureaucrats will have nothing to fear as Lokpal is not going to go on a witch-hunting spree. Lokpal comes in only after many preliminaries are covered by normal course of investigation and inquiry. There are several clauses in the revised bill that make it more stringent and reduce the chances of corruption. For example it has recommended that while a CBI officer is conducting preliminary inquiries in a case of corruption or misappropriation of authority, he will not be shifted. Previously interested parties would maneuver his shifting and thus cast aspersions on the nature and quality of investigation.
The essential issue before the nation is that it wants corruption and misuse of authority to be eradicated from our polity and give the people clean administration. No single person or single political party takes the credit of seeing the bill through this time after eight abortive efforts in the past. It is the victory of the people; it is the achievement of Indian nation.
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