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India Mps Due To Debate Anti-Corruption Lokpal Bill
BBC NEWS, INDIA
December 27, 2011: India's parliament is due to begin a key three-day debate on a new anti-corruption bill amid a fresh hunger strike by campaigner Anna Hazare, who is demanding a stronger law. Mr Hazare's 12-day anti-corruption fast in August became the focus of a national campaign and put pressure on the government to act on the issue.
The Lokpal bill envisages setting up an independent ombudsman with the power to prosecute politicians and civil servants. Mr Hazare has called the bill "weak and useless" in its present form.
The bill proposes keeping India's top investigation agency, CBI, out of the purview of the ombudsman. In other words, the nine-member Lokpal committee - which will comprise the ombudsman - will not have its own investigative agency, a major demand of anti-corruption activists like Mr Hazare and many opposition parties. The government has also kept outside the ombudsman's remit a "citizen's charter" for the timely investigation of public grievances against the government, another demand of Mr Hazare. Instead it has tabled a separate citizen's charter bill in parliament which makes it mandatory for every government ministry and department to act within 30 days on public complaints about services.
'Jail protests'
As the parliament begins debating the bill, Mr Hazare is to begin a three-day hunger strike at a ground in Mumbai to press for a "strong and independent" ombudsman. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not keeping his word on bringing a strong anti-corruption law," Mr Hazare said, ahead of his fast. His supporters in Delhi will also hold protests at the capital's Ramlila ground, the site of Mr Hazare's fast in August.
Mr Hazare's aides say that more than 125,000 people have signed up to "go to jail" in protest if the parliament does not pass a strong anti-corruption bill after this week's debate. But India's Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal has called the Lokpal bill a "fine piece" of legislation put together after discussions with political parties and members of the civil society. He said the government had held nine meetings with Mr Hazare and his aides about the content of the proposed law.
Media reports say that opposition parties will seek over 50 changes to the bill during the debate in the parliament. The key changes include granting autonomy to the CBI, forming a separate investigative wing for the ombudsman and making it optional for states to have their own ombudsmen.
A recent survey said corruption in India had cost billions of dollars and threatened to derail growth.
