Salient points of the new Lokpal bill that was cleared on Thursday by the cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh:
- The Lokpal at the centre has been delinked from Lokayukta in the states.
- State government will have to enact a law for setting up Lokayukta within a year of the central government passing the Lokpal bill.
- The prime minister's office will be under the Lokpal, with some riders related to national security and external affairs.
- Officials facing a preliminary probe will be given a hearing.
- Lokpal will have no power to transfer Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials investigating a case referred by it.
- Director prosecution of the CBI will be selected by the chief vigilance commissioner.
- The selection panel for the Lokpal will comprise the prime minister, speaker and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist.
- Prime minister, the leader of opposition in the lower house and the chief justice of India will select the CBI director.
- Charitable institutions aided by the government will come under Lokpal.
