The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Friday that a decision to appoint the lokpal, the anti-graft ombudsman, will be taken on March 1.
Attorney General KK Venugopal informed a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi that the process to appoint lokpal was ongoing and a meeting of the Selection Committee, comprising
Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister, leader of Opposition and Speaker is scheduled for March 1.
Based on this information, the Court posted the matter for hearing on March 6 and asked the Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training to file an affidavit on the steps taken. The order came on a contempt petition filed by NGO Common Cause that questioned the non-appointment of lokpal despite a direction by the SC on April 27 last year.
Venugopal informed the bench that there was a delay in the process due to the untimely death of Senior Advocate PP Rao, one of the members of the committee.