The Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended that Group-A and Group-B officers of the Central Government should come under the Lokpal and group C & D employees under the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The report was presented in the Parliament on Friday.
Chairman of the Committee Mr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the CBI should not be subjected to the Lokpal. He said the Committee had recommended constitutional status for the Lokpal to enhance its stature and legal and moral authority. On the issue of weather the Prime Minister should be brought under Lokpal, he said it had been left to the wisdom of Parliament.
Reacting to the report, the BJP said the Committee had complicated the issue so that the Bill could not be passed in the current Session. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the report was against the commitment made by the Finance Minister to the House.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has said the proposals would not help in fighting graft.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters that the Standing Committee had MPs of different political parties on board and would understand the sense of Parliament better than outsiders.