Lokpal Bill: State Lokayuktas to cover Group C & D employees

Mangalore Today / NDTV

New Delhi, Dec. 6 : The Congress seems to have given in halfway to the Opposition’s demands on the Lokpal Bill. Parliament Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill has included Group C and D bureaucrats under the ambit of the respective state Lokayuktas.

 

The final Lokpal Bill draft of the Parliament Standing Committee, which is slated to be tabled in Parliament on December 9 after a formal adoption meeting on December 7. The draft says Group A and B Central government employees will be covered under the Lokpal and Group C and D state employees will come under the respective state Lokayuktas.

However, Group C and D employees of the Central government are still included under the CVC.

Earlier on Tuesday, clearing air over reports of delay in the report, Congress spokesperson and Standing Committee Chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that there was no delay in the report as it was just a procedural short extension.

Singhvi further said that the report was not being prepared to satisfy or please any individual or organization, but for national interest.

"We are writing this report not to satisfy any individual or institution but to satisfy our soul and democracy," he said.

The Congress leader further said that the committee was not set up to rubber stamp the views of anyone.

"This committee is to satisfy everyone. We are writing this report to satisfy each and every citizen of the country," said Singhvi.

Differences had cropped in the Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting last week on the Lokpal Bill, especially over the inclusion of Group C bureaucrats.

There was a U-turn by the Congress members who demanded removal of Group C bureaucrats from the ambit of Lokpal, while BJP, CPM, BSP, SP demanded their inclusion, sources claimed.