Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Prashant Bhushan wrote a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressing disappointment for not making the text of the proposed lokpal Bill public and open for public consultations. Bhushan, along with RTI activists, have urged the Delhi Government to show its credibility by making the lokpal Bill and the Service Delivery Amendment Bill open in the public domain and process them through public consultations.
“We have written to Kejriwal that in accordance of AAP’s promise of transparency and public consultations, he should have given the draft of this lokpal bill to public...shown it to the public so that
people could have expressed their views and comments. Why he is not doing thatIJ” Bhushan told The Pioneer.
The letter mentions the pre-legislative Consultation Policy adopted by the Government of India which mandates that draft legislations (including subordinate legislations) be placed in the public domain for 30 days for inviting public comments and a summary of comments be made available on the concerned Ministry’s website prior to being sent for Cabinet approval.
“This institutionalised mechanism needs to be implemented and complied with while considering all legislations. We are deeply disappointed and are unable to understand why the AAP Government has decided that the text of the proposed lokpal & Service Delivery Bills will neither be made public nor be put up for public consultation,” the letter reads.
Besides Bhushan, the letter directed to the CM is signed by RTI activists including Shailesh Gandhi, Aruna Roy, Prashant Bhushan, Nikhil Dey, Amrita Johri, Maja Daruwala, Vipul Mudgal and Rakesh Dubbudu.
While the CM office has replied to the earlier communication on the same issue, the activists have argued in the letter that the reply was not satisfactory since “it would set a dangerous precedence for all governments to circumvent the need for public consultations.”
The activists have invoked Kejriwal’s campaigns where he demanded transparency and public participation during drafting and formulation of crucial bills. “You are well aware of how the design of legislation and institutions being set up therein, benefit from deliberations and consultations,” adds on the letter.
While talking to this daily, spokesperson of AAP Deepak Bajpai refused to comment on the letter saying that the Jan lokpal Bill draft is ready and we will not be distracted by anybody.