Law on whistle blowing soon

Racing against time for putting in place strict anti-corruption legislations such as Lokpal Bill and prevention of bribery clauses in the existing laws, the Congress-led UPA government has decided to place before Parliament a panel’s recommendations asserting bringing in all the organs of the state including armed forces, judiciary and legislature in the ambit of much awaited ‘whistle blowers’ law.

A law ministry contact said the department related parliamentary standing committee that examined the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010, has submitted its report. This will be put to the law makers’ discussion at the earliest.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan, who heads this multi party panel, says the committee is “not in favour of keeping out the Armed Forces intelligence and security agencies from the purview of the Bill”.

No organisation of government should be left out from public scrutiny and accountability provided for in the bill, it adds. It desires that the personnel ministry should consider bringing the Union cabinet, the members of the entire judiciary, including the higher judiciary such as the high courts and the Supreme Court, regulatory authorities, within the ambit of this bill.

For that Parliament may have to amend certain laws that grant the status of sacred cows to them.

It also recommends that a foolproof mechanism should be envisaged to ensure that the identity of the complainant is not compromised with, at any cost and at any level.