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'The Government‘s Volte Face'

Why is the government going back on the key provision of its own Lokpal Bill 2011, giving the function of investigation to an independent Lokpal?

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'The Government‘s Volte Face'
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All right thinking people in the country will have to ponder over this mystery. The government's own Lokpal Bill 2011, in section 12(1) provided as follows:

“12(1) Not withstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the Lokpal shall constitute an investigating wing for the purpose of conducting investigation of any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant, punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.”

It now appears that the government is developing cold feet on this key provision i.e.Section 12 giving the function of investigation to an independent Lokpal.

Everybody knows that "investigation” is the real function, which alone can get a public servant punished. Till now these investigation agencies have been the CBI at the centre and the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the state police in the states. These have been under the administrative control of the governments.

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The appointments, promotions, transfers and disciplinary action against the police officers of these organizations were made by the government.

The governments have been shielding these corrupt officers and corruption has been growing to monumental proportions.This was the reason, why a Lokpal Authority which was independent of the government was needed, which alone could have put a stop to this menace of growing corruption.

Evidently the Government and the politicians know this and realize that if the power of investigation is conferred on an independent Lokpal, their coffers would start drying up. Nothing else can explain the government‘s volte face on Sec. of 12 its own Lokpal bill 2011.

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