Chiefs resist structural changes in CVC, CBI

In a major setback to Anna Hazare’s Jan Lok Pal Bill, the chiefs of both central vigilance commission (CVC) and central bureau of investigation (CBI) asked members of the standing committee on personnel, public grievance and law and justice not to make any changes in the existing structure of both institutions, and the "autonomy" of both must be respected.

Senior members of the parliamentary committee said both the heads of CVC and CBI first gave a presentation and then answered questions raised by the members of the committee.

During his hunger strike at Ramlila ground in the capital, Hazare and his team members had demanded in their version of the Lok Pal Bill that CVC and anti-corruption wing of the CBI must be brought under the Lok Pal for the fight against corruption and to target corrupt government servants at high places.

"The CVC must continue to have jurisdiction to fight corruption. The parliamentary committee must not tamper with the existing structure of the vigilance commission," senior members of the standing committee quoted Pradeep Kumar, the central vigilance commissioner, who attended the meeting.

During his interaction with the standing committee members, Kumar hoped that Lok Pal would focus on political corruption by ministers in the ruling government. The meeting of the standing committee members and the chiefs of CBI and CVC was earlier due on September 15, it was postponed.

Members of the standing committee also said that Kumar stressed the powers of CVC and Lok Pal must not contradict each other, as it might affect probe by the two organisations in corruption cases. The CVC also told the parliamentary committee that the members should find ways to check corruption relating to deals in public-private partnership, and also to get prosecution sanction against the higher bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, CBI chief AP Singh insisted the anti-corruption wing of CBI must not be made part of the Lok Pal, as it would hamper investigations of its anti-corruption wing. He also told the parliamentary committee that the decision to exclude the anti-corruption wing from CBI would cripple investigations.