Changes in Whistle Blowers Protection Act not part of current session: Govt

Singh said that no such notification has been made by government for the reason that the Act requires amendments aimed at safeguarding against disclosures affecting sovereignty and integrity of India

The changes proposed in the Whistle Blowers Protection Act are not part of the approved legislative business of the current session of Parliament, the government said on Wednesday.

The Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 was notified on May 12, 2014.

In terms of provision of sub-section (3) of section 1 of the law, the provisions of the Act shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notification in the official gazette, appoint, the government said.

No such notification has been made by the government for the reason that the Act requires amendments aimed at safeguarding against disclosures affecting sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, etc., before it is brought into force, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

To make these amendments to the Act, the government introduced the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the Lok Sabha on May 11, 2015 which was passed by Lok Sabha on May 13, the same year and transmitted to Rajya Sabha, he said.

The bill has since lapsed upon the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, the minister said.

"The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill is not part of the approved Government legislative business of the current session of the Parliament," he said.