lokpal bill 2013

The Jan Lokpal was conceived as an independent empowered and accountable ombudsman

which

could independently, credibly and expeditiously investigate corruption offences of all

public servants who are today not being investigated because the investigating agencies are

controlled by the same public servants who need to be investigated. Such a L

okpal would

need to be functionally, financially and even in terms of appointment and accountability be

independent of the government and indeed the political establishment even if they are for

the time being not in government. A Jan Lokpal bill was drafte

d by the Civil Society

members of the joint drafting committee for this purpose in June 2011 which had the

support of at least 80% people of the country. A fast was undertaken by Anna Hazare at

Ramlila Maidan in August 2011 for this purpose, at the end to

which the Parliament passed

a unanimous resolution committing to passing a Lokpal Bill which would have at least 3

elements: That all public servants, high or low would be included in the investigative ambit

of the Lokpal; that the Lokpal would also monito

r the Citizen’s charters and have the power

to penalize public authorities and servants who violate it; and that the Lokpal bill would

contain provisions for Lokayktas on the same lines as the Lokpal for the States, which would

take of corruption among Sta

te Public servants.

Unfortunately however, the government introduced and passed a farcical bill called the

Lokpal Bill 2011 in December 2011. The same bill was then brought before the Rajya Sabha

but torn up and thrown away and then referred to the Select

Committee. The Bill as passed

by the Lok Sabha left the selection of the Lokpal essentially in the hands of the government.

It also left the accountability of the Lokpal in government hands, thus completely

compromising the independence of the Lokpal. Equa

lly importantly, this bill left the Lokpal’s

corruption investigations in the hands of a government controlled CBI. Also, the bill did not

contain even a single one of the 3 provisions which the Parliament had unanimously

promised Anna Hazare before he bro

ke his fast. Only group A public servants and not all

were brought within the Lokpal’s purview; There was no provision for a State Lokayukta’s in

this bill; and there was no mention of a citizens charter. Moreover, the investigation of the

Lokpal was cripp

led by the need to first have a preliminary inquiry where the accused public

servant would have to be heard (thus allowing him to destroy evidence) before even the FIR

could be registered. And worst of all, a person whose complaint was labeled “frivolous o

r

vexatious” by this government controlled Lokpal could be imprisoned for upto 5 years (even

more than the punishment for corruption)! That is why we had called this bill a Jokepal bill

or a bill for the protection of corrupt public servants.

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A brief history of the Telangana movement

Following is a brief history of Andhra Pradesh and chronology of the movement for Telangana state:


The region, now being called Telangana, was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state which was merged into the Indian Union on 17 September, 1948.

Central government appointed a civil servant, M K Vellodi, as the first Chief Minister of Hyderabad state on 26 January 1950. In 1952, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad state in the first democratic election.


Andhra was the first state to be carved out (from erstwhile Madras state) on linguistic basis on 1 November, 1953. It had Kurnool town (in Rayalaseema region) as its capital after the death of Potti Sriramulu who sat on a 53-day fast-unto-death demanding the new state.




The proposal for amalgamation of Hyderabad state with Andhra state came up in 1953 and the then Chief Minister of Hyderabad state, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, supported the Congress central leadership’s decision in this regard though there was opposition in Telangana region.



Accepting the merger proposal, Andhra assembly passed a resolution on November 25, 1955 promising to safeguard the interests of Telangana.




An agreement was reached between Telangana leaders and Andhra leaders on February 20, 1956 to merge Telangana and Andhra with promises to safeguard Telangana's interests. A “Gentlemen’s Agreement” was then signed by Bezawada Gopala Reddy and Burgula Ramakrishna Rao to the effect.




Eventually, under the States Re-organisation Act, Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad state were merged with Andhra state, giving birth to the state of Andhra Pradesh on 1 November, 1956.



The city of Hyderabad, the then capital of Hyderabad state, was made the capital of Andhra Pradesh state.



In 1969, an agitation began in Telangana region as people protested the failure to implement the Gentlemen’s Agreement and other safeguards properly.



Marri Channa Reddy launched the Telangana Praja Samiti espousing the cause of a separate state. The agitation intensified and turned violent with students in the forefront of the struggle and about 300 of them were killed in violence and police firing that ensued.



Following several rounds of talks with leaders of the two regions, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came up with an eight-point plan on April 12, 1969. Telangana leaders rejected the plan and protests continued under the aegis of Telangana Praja Samiti.



In 1972, Jai Andhra movement started in Andhra-Rayalaseema regions as a counter to Telangana struggle.




On September 21, 1973, a political settlement was reached with the Centre and a 6-point formula put in place to placate people of the two regions.


In 1985, employees from Telangana region cried foul over appointments in government departments and complained about ‘injustice’ done to people of the region. The then Telugu Desam Party government, headed by N T Rama Rao, brought out a Government Order to safeguard the interests of Telangana people in government employment.



Till 1999, there was no demand from any quarters for division of the state on regional lines.



In 1999, Congress demanded creation of Telangana state. Congress was then smarting under crushing defeats in successive elections to the state Assembly and Parliament with the ruling Telugu Desam Party in an unassailable position.



Yet another chapter opened in the struggle for Telangana when Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao, who was seething over denial of Cabinet berth in the Chandrababu Naidu government, walked out of TDP and launched Telangana Rashtra Samiti on 27 April, 2001.



Following pressure applied by Telangana Congress leaders, the Central Working Committee of Congress in 2001 sent a resolution to the then NDA government seeking constitution of a second States Re-organisation Commission to look into Telangana state demand, which was rejected by the then Union Home Minister L K Advani saying smaller states were “neither viable nor conducive” to integrity of the country.


TRS started gradually building the movement for a separate state.




Congress forged an electoral alliance with TRS by promising to create Telangana state. Congress came to power in 2004, both in the state and at the Centre, and TRS became part of the coalition governments at both places.



Protesting delay in carving out the separate state, TRS quit the coalition governments in the state and at the Centre in December 2006 and continued an independent fight. * In October 2008, TDP changed its stance and declared support for bifurcation of the state.




TRS launched an indefinite hunger-strike on 29 November, 2009 demanding creation of Telangana. The Centre budged and came out with an announcement on 9 December, 2009 that it was "initiating the process for formation of Telangana state".



But the Centre announced on 23 December, 2009 that it was putting Telangana issue on hold. This fanned protests across Telangana with some students ending their lives for a separate state. The Centre then constituted a five-member Committee on 3 February, 2010, headed by former judge Srikrishna, to look into statehood demand. The Committee submitted its report to the Centre on 30 December, 2010.


Telagana region witnessed a series of agitations like the Million March, Chalo Assembly and Sakalajanula Samme (general strike) in 2011-12 while MLAs belonging to different parties quit from the House.



 With its MPs from Telangana upping the ante, Congress made Union Home Ministry to convene an all-party meeting on December 28, 2012 to find an “amicable solution” to the crisis.

Following is a brief history of Andhra Pradesh and chronology of the movement for Telangana state:

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/from-1948-to-2013-a-brief-history-of-the-telangana-movement-998093.html?utm_source=ref_article

Following is a brief history of Andhra Pradesh and chronology of the movement for Telangana state: *The region, now being called Telangana, was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state which was merged into the Indian Union on 17 September, 1948. *Central government appointed a civil servant, M K Vellodi, as the first Chief Minister of Hyderabad state on 26 January 1950. In 1952, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad state in the first democratic election. Students of Osmania University celebrate the formation of Telangana. AFP

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/from-1948-to-2013-a-brief-history-of-the-telangana-movement-998093.html?utm_source=ref_article