Hyderabad, April 04: The Forum for Good Governance and several other civil society organisations have requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to strengthen the Lokpal Bill.
The Bill in its present form, as envisaged by the Centre, was falling short of huge expectations generated among people, forum secretary M. Padmanabha Reddy and others said at a press conference here on Sunday.
They urged the Prime Minister to make the institution of Lokpal an independent body with powers to take up investigation of corruption cases suo motu.
“The institution should have authority to cover any government or public servant. It should be vested with powers of initiating prosecution against government servants without permission from any other authority and that against public servants after permissions from constitutionally higher offices,” they felt. In other words, the Lokpal should have jurisdiction over all politicians, public offices and bureaucrats.
The Lokpal institution should have powers to recover loss or confiscate the unaccounted wealth in corruption cases, they said. The Central Vigilance Commission and Central Bureau of Investigation should also be brought under the jurisdiction of Lokpal, they said.
Further, they suggested selection of members of Lokpal institution with consensus by a five-member panel comprising the Prime Minister as Chairperson and the Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and three retired Judges of Supreme Court as members.
Former Union Home Secretary, K. Padmanabhaiah, Rao Chelikani of United Forum for Resident Welfare Associations, Director of Association of people for Social Action S. Srinivasa Reddy, president of Jana Chaitnya Vedika V. Lakshmana Reddy and Sivaji of Manochaitanya Human Services were present.
–Agencies