'Punjab to appoint lokpal only after giving it more powers'

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government would appoint its next lokpal only after making an amendment in the Punjab Lokpal Act, 1996, to provide more powers to the anti-corruption authority.
The state government is deliberating over bringing the chief minister also under the ambit of the lokpal. Former Rajasthan high court chief justice Satish Kumar Mittal, had resigned from the post of Punjab lokpal on April 23, after the Haryana government on April 11 decided to appoint him as chairperson of the Haryana Human Rights Commission.

The Congress had promised in its manifesto to to introduce Lokpal Bill, which will give the state ombudsman powers to take action even against the chief minister. Punjab chief secretary Karan Avtar Singh on Wednesday chaired a meeting to discuss the amendments needed to be carried out in the Punjab Lokpal Act. "The state government will only appoint the next lokpal after the existing Lokpal Act is amended," a senior officer told TOI.

He added that the lokpal, in the amended Act, was expected to get powers to probe offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act against legislators and those in public office. The lokpal could also get powers which supersede the state vigilance bureau, apart from powers to take suo motu notice of corruption cases by "public men".

On November 2, 2017, the Punjab government appointed Justice Mittal as lokpal. He had also advocated for strengthening the office of lokpal by giving him powers to sanction prosecution rather then only making him the recommending authority to the state government. Till March end, Justice Mittal had received around 80 complaints since his joining office in November 2017.

The officer said there was no wisdom of having a "toothless lokpal" and therefore a committee headed by the chief secretary was delebrating on the issuel. "On the basis of panel's recommendations, the case would be put up before the cabinet for its approval," said the officer. Then can can either be an ordinance or wait for the next Vidhan Sabha session to table the bill.