India: Cabinet clears key anti-graft bills

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Pushing for a slew of anti-corruption laws, India's Cabinet has cleared three crucial Bills relating to judicial accountability, protection of whistleblowers and Citizens Charter -- issues which social activist Anna Hazare wants to be brought under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal (ombudsman). The Bills approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday were The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010, Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010, widely known as the Whistleblowers' Protection Bill and Citizens' Charter and Grievance Redressal Bill, 2011. Anna Hazare and his team of social activists have been demanding that the judiciary, a Citizens' Charter and a Grievance Redressal mechanism be brought under the Lokpal. However, the government and some of opposition parties felt there should be separate laws to deal with these issues. The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010, seeks to lay down judicial standards and provide for accountability of judges and establish a credible and expedient mechanism for investigating into individual complaints for misbehaviour or incapacity of a judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court and to regulate the procedure for such investigation. It also proposes to form a panel to incorporate a provision to have in-camera proceedings of the committee which will scrutinise complaints against judges. The Bill seeks to make it mandatory for judges to stay away from maintaining "close relations or close social interaction" with lawyers who practice in the same court. However, sources said some cabinet ministers felt this provision should be dropped. The Cabinet also approved the Citizens Charter and Grievance Redressal Bill, 2011. Sources said there were differences in the Cabinet on the time frame to be given to government officials for service delivery and grievance redressal with some members stating that 15 days was too less. It was finally settled at 30 days. The Cabinet also approved the Whistleblowers' Protection Bill which seeks to bring members of the Council of Ministers, the judiciary, including the higher judiciary, regulatory authorities and even the corporates within its ambit. PTI