With Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi coming forward to ensure the passage of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, the legislation is likely to get the elders’ nod in a couple of days. However, it will not be an easy process as the Left parties have decided to press for three amendments to the Bill, which has been cleared by the Cabinet.

The Left parties have demanded that public-private partnership projects and corporate institutions be brought under the Lokpal ambit. In a note to the Select Committee, they said Lokpal should be given powers to investigate cases which involve business entities and to recommend cancellation of licences, contracts, lease or agreements if they were obtained by corrupt means. The CPI(M) has moved three amendments to the Bill. The party argues that the Lokpal should have the power to recommend blacklisting of companies to prevent them from getting government contracts and licences. “We will press our amendments in Parliament,” senior CPI(M) leader Tapan Sen told Business Line .

The Left has also questioned an official amendment moved by Minister of State for Personnel V. Narayanasamy to the Bill. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has accused the Congress and the BJP of fighting to take the credit for passing a “farce” Lokpal Bill. “We are now witnessing an unseemly spectacle in Parliament with the Congress and the BJP fighting to claim credit for passing this farcical Jokepal bill, with or without some of the cosmetic amendments of the select committee,” its leader Arvind Kejriwal said.

>jigeesh.am@thehindu.co.in

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