2. JANALOKPAL BILL

2.

 JANALOKPAL BILL

Jana Lokpal Bill is an anti-corruption bill using which we can appoint a Jana lokpal, ie. an independent body to investigate corruption.  

There are many anti-corruption laws but these are inadequate seeing the number of corruption cases coming up every day. The Jana Lokpal Bill was drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and former Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal. According to the bill the accused will go to jail within two years and the wealth he got through illegal means will be confiscated. There is also provision to prosecute politician and bureaucrats without government permission.

One version of the bill called Lokpal bill was passed by the Parliament in 2013. But Kejriwal calls it a ‘jokepal bill’. He says not even a rat will go to jail because of this bill.

Main points covered in the Jana Lokpal Bill:

1. An institution called Lokpal will be put up at the center and a Lokayukta will be put up in each State.

2. Like the Supreme Court and the Election Commission, the Lokpal and the Lokayukta will be completely independent of the government. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence the investigations of the Lokpal or the Lokayukta.

3. Cases will not linger for years any more. Investigation in any particular case will be completed within one year. Trial will be completed within the next one year so that the corrupt politician or bureaucrat will go to jail within two years.

4. The wealth collected by the accused through illegal means will be confiscated at the time of conviction.

5. Lokpal will have powers to initiate suo motu action or receive complaints of corruption from general public.

6. Lokpal will have the power to initiate prosecution of anyone found guilty.

7. Lokpal will have police powers as well as the ability to register FIRs.

8. Lokpal and the anti corruption wing of the CBI will be an independent body.

9. Punishment for corruption will be minimum of one year and maximum of life term.

10. Whistleblowers will be protected by Lokpal.

11. Honest officials like Ashok Khemka and Durga Shakti Nagpal will be encouraged and protected.

How it will help the citizen: If any work is not done in the prescribed time by any govt. office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

It will be the duty of the Lokpal to protect the person who has filed the complaint. So people need not be afraid to file a complaint against any person who is politically, physically or financially powerful.

            If your ration card, passport or voter card is not being made within a particular time period or if police is not registering your case, you can approach the Lokpal or the Lokayukta. Your work will get done within one month. You can also approach the Lokpal if the roads in your area are in bad condition; ration is being siphoned off, panchayat funds are being siphoned off, etc. The guilty will be sent to jail within two years. (One year for investigation and another year for trial)

            The entire Lokpal will be transparent. If any member of the Lokpal is found guilty of any act of corruption, a complaint can be lodged, it will be investigated and the officer will be dismissed within two months.

            All the present anti-corruption agencies like the CVC, department of vigilance and the anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged with the Lokpal.

            Black economy is a major factor in the rise of prices of basic commodities. Election funding is the main reason for black economy. AAP promised to provide an alternative method of contesting elections with white money.

           

WORK DONE IN DELHI REGARDING JANA LOKPAL BILL:

While he was the CM of Delhi, Kejriwal tried to introduce the Jana Lokpal Bill in the assembly. But unfortunately the other parties did not allow the introduction of the bill. And hence Kejriwal had to resign from the post of CM.