Lokpal Bill: When dilution came with delay

NEW DELHI: More than three months after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi outlined an anti-corruption agenda for the government, concrete steps are yet to be taken to put that advice into action with the discussions of a group of ministers going nowhere.

The ministerial panel has found no merit so far in doing away with discretionary powers of ministers or summary dismissal of public servants in corruption cases. It has taken the view that such measures will curb the executive's authority.

While there may be some merit in the argument that if the political executive loses its ability to intervene for public good or in individual cases, it will take away from an essential function, senior ministers do not offer any assurance that these powers will be made more transparent.

The reluctance to address the question of accountability is seen to be rooted in political resistance to genuine anti-corruption measures. Faced with in-house obstacles, PM Manmohan Singh is also yet to assert himself and ensure that a credible anti-graft agenda is prepared.

This has led to a vacuum that allowed civil society activists to ambush the government over the Lokpal Bill. Having been stymied in their efforts to ensure a non-bureaucrat becomes chief information commissioner after Wajahat Habibullah, transparency activists found a clean and credible face in Gandhian Anna Hazare.

The lack of initiative in government saw the activist onslaught receive public support and weaken UPA 2's credentials. Having squandered precious time since the Burari AICC session, the government's arguments that the bill prepared by Hazare's group is too sweeping in its aim to arm the lokpal with powers to issue warrants, demand documents, assume authority of a civil court and hand out punishments is sounding like an excuse to protect political turf.