New Delhi, April 6: The government will take steps to get the Lokpal bill passed in the Rajya Sabha soon, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V. Narayanasamy said Saturday, seeking public help to weed out corruption.
Addressing the gathering at the 14th D.P. Kohli Memorial Lecture organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here, Narayanasamy said corruption could be curbed by enhancing citizen participation in governance and promoting transparency.
Referring to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, the minister said the government had approved amendments following suggestions of a select committee of Rajya Sabha.
The minister said that the bill was pending in the Rajya Sabha and the government would soon take steps to get it passed in the house.
Referring to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, the minister said the government had approved amendments following suggestions of the select committee of Rajya Sabha.
After the approval from the upper house, the legislation will travel back to Lok Sabha for fresh nod on the amendments.
He said the government would continue to support the CBI in its efforts to maintain the highest levels of personal conduct.
The lecture, organised in the CBI golden jubilee year, was delivered by President Pranab Mukherjee on "Good governance: Empowering Institutions, Society and Public."
Narayanasamy earlier sought to rubbish allegations about the government misusing the CBI for its political ends.
"In the past 50 years, the CBI has set the highest standards of professionalism and insulated itself from the influence of extraneous considerations, particularly political pressure," the minister said, a copy of which was circulated among the audience.
He said the CBI requires full functional autonomy to deliver results and "our government is committed to this".
The minister said the CBI should take note of growing significance of anti-corruption agenda in international economic relations and strengthen its capacity for multi-jurisdictional investigation.
"The CBI has to prepare to work across the globe in the coming decade," he said.
He said premature publicity given to the cases under investigation led to media trials that could harm the cause of justice.
CBI Director Ranjit Sinha said that the agency's golden jubilee was an year of introspection.
He said there were growing voices in the country against corruption.
"The public expects us to act with greater effectiveness and speed," he said.
He said "anti-corruption" was moving to the mainstream of international economic relations and increasing engagement of Indian economy with ASEAN, EU and SAARC member countries was expected to have implications on the nature of the agency's work.
"The CBI has to prepare to work across the globe," he said.
He said the agency would start a mechanism to promote research by collaborating with national law universities.
He lauded contribution of D.P. Kohli in laying sound foundation of the CBI in its early days. Kohli headed Delhi special police establishment from 1955 to 1963 and later the CBI from 1963 to 1968.
