Alternative Lokpal doing the rounds

As the movement against the government’s daft Lokpal Bill gathers momentum, another proposal recommending five measures to tackle corruption is doing the rounds.

The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), an organisation that seeks to empower people by promoting their right to know, has mooted a proposal that recommends five measures to tackle corruption instead of a single Jan Lokpal Bill.

“Our criticism of the government draft is separate. We have criticised it for not covering the PM under it and not even having provisions for Lokayukta. We feel that the spread of the government is limited,” Aruna Roy, a member of the NCPRI.

Unlike the Jan Lokpal Bill, the NCPRI says their proposal will be more accountable and manageable. The measures include forming a National Anti-Corruption Lokpal, strengthening Central Vigilance Commission and judicial standards.

“The process on this started last year. While we agreed that all should be covered unlike the government draft (that excludes PM), our say is that there should be a multiple and not massive set up to tackle corruption. Being a bureaucrat I have seen that a massive organisation has its own drawbacks and we felt that grievances should be dealt separately as it needs a bottom to top approach,” said Roy.

She added, “At each level different kind of skills is required. A person interrogating low level crimes  will not be able to handle the ones at the top level. A different set of expertise is required for that."