Cabinet okays House panel recommendations

Cabinet okays House panel recommendations
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21: The Union Cabinet has approved implementation of all recommendations of the joint committee of both Houses of Parliament on the Central Vigilance Commission Bill, which includes retention of "single directive" principle for CBI on getting government approval for probing corruption charges against Joint Secretaries and above.

The Cabinet, at its meeting on Tuesday, decided to accept all changes in the Bill recommended by the 30-member Joint Committee, headed by NCP leader Sharad Pawar who recently submitted its report to the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters here.

Government would now try to get the Bill passed in both the Houses in the next half of the on-going Budget session, he said. The Bill was introduced in Parliament in December 1999. Two dissenting notes on the report were submitted to the Joint Committee by MPs, Nitish Sengupta and Kuldip Nayyar.

Among the recommendations of the Committee was the retention of the "single directive" principle, which provides for CBI or Enforcement Directorate to seek prior approval of government if they wanted to investigate charges under Prevention of Corruption Act against joint secretary or above.