New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) In a split decision, the parliamentary panel studying the Lokpal bill Thursday decided to keep around 6 million Group C employees – the bottom layer of government employees – out of the anti-graft ombudsman, leading to 10 members submitting a note of dissent on the draft report.
Sources said the dissent note has been submitted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India-Marxist, Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Samajwadi Party members of the 31-member panel.
BJP MP Harin Pathak said: ‘We have given our dissent note. The draft report appears to be against the sense of parliament conveyed to Anna Hazare.’
The sense of parliament on having Lokayuktas in states, a citizen’s charter and bringing lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal – among the demands set forth by Hazare, was conveyed to Hazare by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a letter Aug 27.
Expressing doubt that the panel would recommend a strong Lokpal, Samajwadi Party member Shailendra Kumar termed the Thursday meeting as ‘mysterious’.
‘There was an agreement on most issues, including keeping Group C staff within Lokpal Wednesday. What was the need for today’s meeting,’ asked Kumar.
Group C employees consist of peons, lower-level clerical staff, drivers, cleaners etc. Hazare wanted this group included under the ombudsman ambit, saying these employees interacted most with people and were the face of the bureaucracy.
Sources said Thursday’s meeting was called suddenly after some members expressed concern over some issues and wanted a clarification.
Sources said the panel reversed its decision to keep Group C within Lokpal under pressure from the government.
They said chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the Congress core committee at the official residence of the prime minister soon after the panel meeting was over Wednesday evening.
Singhvi said Thursday: ‘We agreed to disagree on some issues though there is consensus on most points. The sense of the house (division) will be reflected in the report.’
He said the panel would hold a brief meeting within 10 days to adopt the final draft report which will then be tabled in both houses of parliament.
The Biju Janata Dal representative, who sided with the Congress members on the issue of keeping Group C out, has given a separate dissent note on the selection process of the Central Bureau of Investigation director.
Another member, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has also given a dissent note asking for reservation for Dalits, backwards and minorities in the Lokpal panel.
Besides the Group C staff issue, sources said there is a division among the members on bringing the prime minister under the Lokpal and on the autonomy of the CBI.
