Naveen questions unilateral constitution of Lokpal panel

Naveen questions unilateral constitution of Lokpal panel


Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday refused to give piecemeal views of the State Government as well as of the ruling party to the Union Government on constitution of Lokpal panel before finalisation of the related draft Bill and sought the final draft copy of the Lokpal legislation.

Patnaik, as the Chief Minister and president of the BJD, gave his reply to Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee, who is the chairman of the Joint Committee on Lokpal Bill on Wednesday in two separate letters.

After the panel hit a roadblock with the Union Government refusing to include the Prime Minister the judiciary, MPs’ conduct, in Parliament, lower bureaucracy, the CBI and the CVC under the purview of the Lokpal Bill, Mukherjee had written to Patnaik on May 31 for his views through a six-point questionnaire on the issue of setting of Lokpal panel to curb corruption in high places.

Patnaik, instead of giving any specific views on the issue, has sought the final draft Bill from the Union Government.

“It is suggested that the Union Government may finalise the draft of Lokpal legislation on which we will be able to give our views. The appropriate time to do this will be before the presentation of the Bill to Parliament,” Patnaik has stated.

Besides, Patnaik has also categorically mentioned, “We would like to give our views on the entire Bill not restricting ourselves to the six issues that have been given in the questionnaire.”

Similarly as the BJD chief, Patnaik took a tough stand for the unilateral constitution of the Joint Committee on Lokpal Bill by the Union Government. He categorically told Mukherjee that since the Union Government or the Joint Committee did not care to consult the political parties, including the BJD, prior to the exercise, his party would give its views at “appropriate time.”

The BJD would consider giving its opinion before the presentation of the Bill in the Parliament and on receipt a copy of the draft Bill, Patnaik said.