Hyderabad, April 06: Former Union Home Secretary K. Padmanabhaiah exhorted civic society organisations and intellectuals to mount pressure on the Centre for ensuring passage of the Jan Lok Pal Bill in Parliament.
He was addressing a dawn-to-dusk fast organised by Jana Chaitanya Vedika expressing solidarity with the indefinite fast launched by social activist Anna Hazare seeking the introduction of the Jan Lok Pal Bill in Parliament.
Though the Vedika planned to hold the event near Shilpa Kala Vedika, it had to change the venue as the police denied them permission for such protests in the area.
45 years
Mr. Padmanabhaiah lamented that 45 years after the Bill was introduced in Parliament for the first time in 1966, it was yet to be passed. This, he said, was reflective of the absence of political and administrative will on the part of the successive governments and the situation could be remedied only if intellectuals mounted pressure on the government.
No measures
The former Home Secretary said there were no measures to ensure accountability on the part of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues.
Introduction of Jan Lok Pal Bill was the only way to check corruption at the highest level, he stressed. Vedika president V Lakshmana Reddy and others also spoke on the issue.
Meanwhile, International Foundation for Human Development wanted the Union Ministers to realise that the civil society was not in favour of politicians to be above the law, particularly at a time when several scandals were being exposed.
The Lok Pal should be empowered to enquire into the conduct of those in public service, foundation president Rao V.B.J. Chelikani said in a separate press release.
He said that the Lok Pal should be empowered to recommend prosecution with supervisory powers.
–Agencies