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The Lok Sabha today passed a bill to amend the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2011 amid resistance from the Opposition which sought that it be sent to the Standing Committee, with Congress and Left members staging a walk-out.
As opposition parties urged the minister to send the Whistleblowers Protection (Amendment) Bill 2015 to the parliamentary panel, Minister of State for Personnel and Training Jitendra Singh declined the demand saying it had already been sent to the committee once earlier.
When Singh said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had also spoken about the bill earlier, Gandhi interjected and said "we wanted a strong bill".
The Minister also sought to allay opposition apprehensions saying proper care has been taken to ensure the safety of the whistle blowers.
"Protection of the whistleblowers have been adequately done. Complainants' name will not be disclosed and secrecy will be ensured. The matter will be kept in sealed envelope which will be opened by two officers of the competent authority," Singh said.
Singh claimed that the identity of the whistle blower has been so safeguarded that it is "mandatory" even for the Prime Minister to take clearance from a competent authority.
Indicating that the bill may hit a road block in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said "we have already seen what happened to the Land Acquisition Bill and the GST Bill. To ensure the smooth passage of the bill, it should be sent to the Standing Committee," he said.
Later, members of opposition parties including Congress and Left walked out of the House as the bill was put up for voting.
The 2015 bill seeks to amend the Act with a view to incorporate necessary provisions to strengthen safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country and security of the state, among other things.
