THE JAN LOKPAL BILL

To quote from the very famous essay by Albert Camus titled "The Fastidious Assassins"- "There are crimes of passion and crimes of logic". The year 2011 will be remembered in India as the year of campaign against corruption and for the Jan Lokpal Bill. The need for an effective Jan Lokpal Bill springed in the backdrop of various scams notably the 2G spectrum and the CWG scandal which saw misappropriation of public funds. The strong resolve to fight the inadequacies took shape with Anna Hazare's fast at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi in April 2011. Subsequently a joint committee was formed to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill.

WHAT IT MEANS

Based on the United Nations Convention , that necessitated all countries to place agencies that investigate corruption related issues, the Jan Lok Pal which functions independent of the executive wing of the government  

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The members who chair the selection committee include the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition, two judges selected by the supreme court judges, the CAG, the CEC, the CVC and the previous three chairpersons of the Lokpal through a transparent process.

POWER AND PROVISIONS GUARANTEED

1) A full fledged investigative jurisdiction over all public servants that covers Members of the Parliament, judges and all sections of the bureaucracy and those suspected to abet acts of corruption(includes corporations and NGO's).

2) The Lokpal can recommend the removal of officials charge sheeted for corruption followed by freezing of any assets acquired by corrupt means.

3) Trials based on corruption would be resolved by putting them on fast track during which losses caused to the public exchequer would be determined. Subsequent measures to recover the loss from the corrupt officials and their abettors would be taken.

4)The formation of the Lokpal makes it mandatory for providing citizen's charters by the public authorities thus ensuring time bound delivery of public services.

5) Unless proved impossible to undertake, every public authority is expected to lease out contracts, leases and licenses with total transparency by public auction. In addition public servants would be barred from  taking up jobs with organisations with which they had been dealing in their official capacity thus ruling out possibilities of accepting bribes. 

In the state levels, the Lokayuktas based on similar lines would be formed.