President Pranab Mukherjee gave assent to Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill 2013

Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India on 1 January 2014 gave his assent to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2013. With this accent, the Bill has turned to be an Act.  

Important points need to know about this bill :

• As per the Act a Lokpal will be at the centre level and Lokayukta’s will be at the states levels
• A Lokpal consist of a Chairperson and a maximum of eight members, of which 50 percent should be of judicial members
• The Act provides that 50 percent of the total members of the Lokpal should be from SC/ST/OBCs, minorities and women
• The Chairperson and members of the Lokpal will be selected through a selection committee, which include the Prime Minister of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, Lok Sabha’s leader of opposition, the Chief Justice of India or the Judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the Chief Justice. Then the President of India will nominate the eminent Jurist on the basis of the recommendations of the first four members of the selection committee
• The Prime Minister has been brought under the purview of the Lokpal 
• The jurisdiction of the Lokpal will cover all the categories of the public servant
• Under its also comes any/all entities, which will receive the donations from a foreign source in excess of 10 lakh rupees in context of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)
• The Act will provide adequate protection to the honest and upright public servants
• The Act provide Lokpal the right to superintendence and direct any investigation agency including the CBI on the cases, which will be referred to them from the Lokpal itself
• The Director of the CBI will be recommended by the high power committee that will be chaired by the Prime Minister of India
• Director will control the Directorate of Prosecution that is headed by the Director of Prosecution 
• The Central Vigilance Commission will recommend the Director of Prosecution, CBI for appointment 
• Lokpal’s approval will be required for the transfer’s of the officers of CBI, who are investigating the cases referred by the Lokpal
• The Act gives the provisions to attach and confiscate the property that has been acquired by corrupt means even in the case that the prosecution of the case remains pending
• Clear time lines for preliminary enquiry and trial has been layed in the Act. It also mentions setting-up of special courts towards the end of the trial
• It mentions that a mandate for setting up the Lokayukta institution through enactment of a law by the State Legislature within 365 days from the date on which the Act was commenced