Goa govt will revisit Lokayukta Bill 2013: Parrikar

PANAJI: Buckling to the pressure by civil rights groups and anti-graft activists, Goa government today agreed to amend the recently passed Goa Lokayukta Bill 2013, which has run into rough weather over certain clauses enshrined in it.

"The amendments in the Bill would be made after Prashant Bhushan ( Aam Admi Party member) submits the draft of the bill, embedding amendments to the objectionable clauses", Parrikar told reporters here.

He, however, refused to specify whether all amendments would be included in the legislation that would be tabled during the forthcoming budget session of the Legislative Assembly, beginning from March 18.

Parrikar said that Bhushan should submit the draft bill by March 15.

Responding to a question, the chief minister defended a clause penalising false complainants, claiming that " someone filing a bogus complaint with a purpose or knowledge is the highest order of corruption".

The amended bill, which was passed in the last Assembly session, has prescribed a fee ranging between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for the fake complainant.

Parrikar said the mechanism has to be worked out to decide "how to pinpoint the bogus complainant".

Activists of India Against Corruption (IAC) and the AAP had met Goa Governor B V Wanchoo recently urging him not to give the assent to the bill.

The principal opposition party Congress had also submitted a memorandum to the Governor against the bill.

Congress had even staged a walkout when the amended Lokayukta Bill was passed on the floor of the House.