Why Prime Minister is excluded from Lokpal ambit ?

Govt draft on Lokpal excludes Prime Minister

NEW DELHI, July 25, 2011 || PTI

A Student Union in Ranchi demonstrating for the inclusion of
PM in the ambit of Lokpal. However the Govt draft
excluded it. Photo-PTI. 

The government draft on Lokpal Bill, which is expected to be considered by the Cabinet this week, does not include the Prime Minister in the purview of the Ombudsman but the final call on the ticklish issue will be taken by Parliament and its Standing Committee.

Disclosing this, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the Bill will be introduced in Parliament in the Monsoon session starting on August 1.

The government’s draft has been prepared by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the nodal ministry, and the issue is likely come up before Cabinet this week or early next week.

“Once the Cabinet approves the draft with or without changes — it is the government’s draft that will be introduced in Parliament. So we will introduce the Lokpal Bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament,” he told PTI here.

On the controversial question of bringing the Prime Minister’s post in the ambit of Lokpal, Mr. Chidambaram said, “According to present thinking, and subject to change by the Cabinet, the government’s draft keeps out the Prime Minister.

“...Our considered view at the moment, subject to change by the Cabinet, is that the PM should be kept out of Lokpal,” he added.

The Home Minister noted that there are several arguments for and against keeping the Prime Minister out of the ambit of the anti-corruption watchdog.

Read details in:  The Hindu
Courtesy : The Hindu & PTI.This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility for awareness generation programme.