The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas bill 2011. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, V. Narayanasamy said, out of 16 amendments proposed by the select committee of the Rajya Sabha, the government has agreed to 14 of them in the anti-corruption legislation.

He said that the Cabinet did not favour the proposal of the select committee for seeking prior approval of the Lokpal to transfer a CBI officer investigating a case, which was referred by Lokpal.

The Cabinet also did not agree to the proposal that an official facing an inquiry by the Lokpal should not be given an opportunity to be heard at the stage of preliminary inquiry. Mr. Narayanasamy said, the Cabinet has given the nod to the recommendation to delink the creation of Lokayuktas from the Lokpal.

The BJP yesterday took exception to not accepting two amendments to the draft Lokpal Bill. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, party spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the UPA government is not taking CBI autonomy seriously.