Jan Lokpal Bill: Former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan presents his version

NEW DELHI: Former chief election commissioner TN Seshan has come up with yet another version of the Lokpal bill that envisages statutory powers to the propsed anti-graft ombudsman on the lines of the Election Commission.

"Corruption today is a major issue and we certainly need a mechanism to curb it. On the basis of my understanding of the Constitution and the functioning of Parliament, I have prepared a proposal for the future Lokpal, which is similar to what has been proposed by Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi."

The former chief election commissioner said that the supremacy of the Constitution and Parliament should be maintained. The Lokpal should be a constitutional body on the pattern of the Election Commission.

"The majority of the Lokpal members should be non-government officials. The selection of the Lokpal member should invite confidence. The members should be selected by a unanimous decision and there should be no voting on it. At the sate level, Lokayuktas can be formed on the line of state high courts," he said.

In order to ensure and maintain the institution's autonomy, the Lokpal members should be removed by an impeachment process, similar to the removal of the SC judges, by Parliament.

Seshan said that he had sent his draft of the Lokpal bill to Sri Sri Ravishankar. "It is for Sri Sri to pass on my Lokpal draft to whoever he wants," Seshan said.

Seshan, who is credited for initiating major electoral reforms during his tenure, said that he wanted the mess over Lokpal to end soon and hoped that Anna Hazare would end his indefinite fast.