NEW DELHI: The joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill met here on Monday amid hardening of stand by the government and civil society on the contentious issue of bringing under its ambit the Prime Minister, judiciary and the conduct of MPs inside Parliament.
Except for civil society member Justice Santosh Hegde, all members of the ten member committee attended the meeting at finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's office in North Block.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of a shrill exchange of words between both sides on contentious issues and government making it clear that it was opposed to bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of the Lokpal.
The government is also opposed to bringing judiciary and the conduct of MPs inside Parliament. The civil society side led by Anna Hazare, however, wants these under the anti- corruption ombudsman.
"We will try to settle the issues as much as possible. There are six issues on which we have differences of opinion," Hegde, who did not attend today's meeting, said.
During the last meeting on June 15, government nominees had asked the civil society members to present their draft while they will present theirs as there was no forward movement. It was also decided that a draft bill will go to the Cabinet along with points of divergence.
In an indication that the Congress had hardened its stand, party chief Sonia Gandhi sent a terse letter to Hazare indicating her unhappiness with him for making his letter public and said she has already made her views "clear" on issues raised him.
Today's deliberations could be the last meeting of the joint committee and another round will be held on Tuesday only if the discussions for an anti-corruption watchdog are not concluded.
TOI
Monday, June 20, 2011
2G scam: SC rejects Kanimozhi's bail plea
NEW DELHI: A special Supreme Court bench on Monday rejected bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar in the 2G spectrum scam case.
However, the SC gave liberty to Kanimozhi to move to trial court afresh for bail after framing of charges in the case.
The apex court said she could invoke section 437 of criminal procedure code which provides for grant of bail to women in cognizable offences. This means Kanimozhi and other accused, including A Raja and corporate biggies, must wait in jail for framing of charges before they can move fresh bail pleas.
The case was heard by a bench headed by Justice GS Singvi, who has been monitoring the case since the beginning and had asked searching questions to the government on the role of several influential people in the multi-crore scam.
Kanimozhi and Kumar have been accused by the CBI to be involved in the illegal transaction of Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV which was alleged to be a bribe given by a telecom operator which had benefited in the scam, PTI reported.
The CBI in its affidavit filed in the apex court opposed their bail pleas on the ground that if released, they could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
Earlier two judges -- P Sathasivam and AK Patnaik -- before whom the matter was listed had recused themselves from the high-profile case.
Instead, Justice Singhvi, whose bench has been monitoring the case, will on Monday hold a special hearing along with Justice BS Chauhan to decide the bail.
According to informed sources, justices P Sathasivam and A K Patnaik conveyed their decision to recuse to Chief Justice SH Kapadia, following which he constituted another bench.
Opposing the bail plea, the probe agency contended in its affidavit that Kanimozhi and Kumar were key conspirators and Rs 200 crore transferred to Kalaignar TV was part of the "bribe" amount and not a loan as claimed by the accused.
The central agency submitted the special CBI court and later the Delhi high court carefully evaluated material evidence and other factors to refuse bail to them.
The apex court had on June 13 agreed to hear their bail plea and asked CBI to explain where the Rs 200 crore, allegedly diverted to DMK-owned Kalaignar TV in 2G scam, has gone and also to file a response on their bail pleas in a week's time.
The court had also asked CBI to come out with a status report on the loss to the state exchequer due to the award of 13 licences to one of the telecom operators and trial proceedings in the CBI special court.
Kanimozhi and Kumar had moved the apex court seeking bail on June 10 challenging the Delhi high court verdict that rejected their bail on the ground that they have strong political connections and the possibility of them influencing witnesses cannot be ruled out.
TOI
However, the SC gave liberty to Kanimozhi to move to trial court afresh for bail after framing of charges in the case.
The apex court said she could invoke section 437 of criminal procedure code which provides for grant of bail to women in cognizable offences. This means Kanimozhi and other accused, including A Raja and corporate biggies, must wait in jail for framing of charges before they can move fresh bail pleas.
The case was heard by a bench headed by Justice GS Singvi, who has been monitoring the case since the beginning and had asked searching questions to the government on the role of several influential people in the multi-crore scam.
Kanimozhi and Kumar have been accused by the CBI to be involved in the illegal transaction of Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV which was alleged to be a bribe given by a telecom operator which had benefited in the scam, PTI reported.
The CBI in its affidavit filed in the apex court opposed their bail pleas on the ground that if released, they could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
Earlier two judges -- P Sathasivam and AK Patnaik -- before whom the matter was listed had recused themselves from the high-profile case.
Instead, Justice Singhvi, whose bench has been monitoring the case, will on Monday hold a special hearing along with Justice BS Chauhan to decide the bail.
According to informed sources, justices P Sathasivam and A K Patnaik conveyed their decision to recuse to Chief Justice SH Kapadia, following which he constituted another bench.
Opposing the bail plea, the probe agency contended in its affidavit that Kanimozhi and Kumar were key conspirators and Rs 200 crore transferred to Kalaignar TV was part of the "bribe" amount and not a loan as claimed by the accused.
The central agency submitted the special CBI court and later the Delhi high court carefully evaluated material evidence and other factors to refuse bail to them.
The apex court had on June 13 agreed to hear their bail plea and asked CBI to explain where the Rs 200 crore, allegedly diverted to DMK-owned Kalaignar TV in 2G scam, has gone and also to file a response on their bail pleas in a week's time.
The court had also asked CBI to come out with a status report on the loss to the state exchequer due to the award of 13 licences to one of the telecom operators and trial proceedings in the CBI special court.
Kanimozhi and Kumar had moved the apex court seeking bail on June 10 challenging the Delhi high court verdict that rejected their bail on the ground that they have strong political connections and the possibility of them influencing witnesses cannot be ruled out.
TOI
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Congress decides to hold all-party meet on Lokpal issue
NEW DELHI: With the issue of bringing the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal remaining a controversial issue, the government is expected to soon call an all-party meeting to seek views across the political spectrum.
This became clear on Saturday after a meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had with top party leaders favouring such parleys against the backdrop of widening differences between the government and the civil society representatives led by Anna Hazare on the issue.
Grappling with the issue and other sensitive matters like Telangana, the Congress core group headed by Sonia Gandhi met fon Saturday, the second meeting coming just after its two-hour long deliberations on Friday night. Today's meeting also discussed Telangana problem. .
The Hazare camp is pitching for inclusion of Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the proposed Lokpal Bill during meetings of the Joint Committee to draft the measure. The committee will now be meeting on June 20 and 21.
Government is prima facie opposed to the inclusion of Prime Minister within the ambit of Lokpal but was open to the idea of covering him once he demits office.
HRD minister Sibal said,"within the government, we feel prima facie, the Prime Minister should not be covered (under the Lokpal). But at the same time we want to make sure that if he demits office, he should not be exonerated from prosecution."
toi
This became clear on Saturday after a meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had with top party leaders favouring such parleys against the backdrop of widening differences between the government and the civil society representatives led by Anna Hazare on the issue.
Grappling with the issue and other sensitive matters like Telangana, the Congress core group headed by Sonia Gandhi met fon Saturday, the second meeting coming just after its two-hour long deliberations on Friday night. Today's meeting also discussed Telangana problem. .
The Hazare camp is pitching for inclusion of Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the proposed Lokpal Bill during meetings of the Joint Committee to draft the measure. The committee will now be meeting on June 20 and 21.
Government is prima facie opposed to the inclusion of Prime Minister within the ambit of Lokpal but was open to the idea of covering him once he demits office.
HRD minister Sibal said,"within the government, we feel prima facie, the Prime Minister should not be covered (under the Lokpal). But at the same time we want to make sure that if he demits office, he should not be exonerated from prosecution."
toi
President to disclose assets in push to transparency
NEW DELHI: The first citizen of India is a shining example of transparency. Setting a precedent for ministers and bureaucrats — many of whom are yet to take the cue — President Pratibha Patil is all set to declare her assets.
Earlier this month, the prime minister had reminded the ministers about the annual declaration of assets and business interests along with that of their spouses. Former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar had also written to the ministers on this on June 2. More than 600 IAS officers of the 4,000-odd in the service have missed the May 31 deadline for declaration of assets, and the list of movable and immovable properties of IPS officers are still trickling in.
Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Archana Dutta said: "The President of India is not required to declare his or her assets to any public authority. However, President Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil has decided to make the assets of her and her family public."
Chandrasekhar's letter had stated that ministers' disclosures consist of all immovable properties and the total approximate value of shares and debentures, cash holdings and jewellery apart from a list of their and families' business interests.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Thursday had suggested that it is not mandatory for the President to declare her assets since various other functionaries like ministers, judges and election commissioners are making the disclosure voluntarily.
Information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi passed the order, while underlining that the commission is not empowered to do so since it is not mandated under the RTI Act. He made the observation while hearing a plea of RTI activist Subhash Agarwal, who sought details of the assets of the President and her family and the steps taken to put them on the website.
Sources in Rashtrapati Bhavan said Patil's decision has nothing to do with the CIC suggestion, and she wants to make the disclosures on her own accord. The matter, sources said, had been on her mind ever since the issue came up with respect to the council of ministers, and is in keeping with the government's motto of transparency for all public office-bearers. "There is no connection with the CIC order," the official added.
Earlier this month, the prime minister had reminded the ministers about the annual declaration of assets and business interests along with that of their spouses. Former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar had also written to the ministers on this on June 2. More than 600 IAS officers of the 4,000-odd in the service have missed the May 31 deadline for declaration of assets, and the list of movable and immovable properties of IPS officers are still trickling in.
Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Archana Dutta said: "The President of India is not required to declare his or her assets to any public authority. However, President Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil has decided to make the assets of her and her family public."
Chandrasekhar's letter had stated that ministers' disclosures consist of all immovable properties and the total approximate value of shares and debentures, cash holdings and jewellery apart from a list of their and families' business interests.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Thursday had suggested that it is not mandatory for the President to declare her assets since various other functionaries like ministers, judges and election commissioners are making the disclosure voluntarily.
Information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi passed the order, while underlining that the commission is not empowered to do so since it is not mandated under the RTI Act. He made the observation while hearing a plea of RTI activist Subhash Agarwal, who sought details of the assets of the President and her family and the steps taken to put them on the website.
Sources in Rashtrapati Bhavan said Patil's decision has nothing to do with the CIC suggestion, and she wants to make the disclosures on her own accord. The matter, sources said, had been on her mind ever since the issue came up with respect to the council of ministers, and is in keeping with the government's motto of transparency for all public office-bearers. "There is no connection with the CIC order," the official added.
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