The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of a High Powered Committee headed by Prime Minister and comprising Chief Justice of India and Speaker of the lok Sabha for failing to give any timeline on the appointment of a Search Committee that is to shortlist names for appointment of lokpal.
Expecting that its earlier “optimism” over an early decision in this regard will be respected at the next meeting, a Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and Navin Sinha directed the Centre to come back with a better affidavit in four weeks.
Attorney General KK Venugopal who appeared for Centre presented the Court with an affidavit summarising on what proceeded in the meeting of the Selection Committee held on July 19. He said that the meeting discussed the Court order but could not finalize names for the Search Committee.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for NGO Common Cause, espousing the cause for setting up the office of lokpal, urged the Court that already four years have been spent by the Government without any concrete step to appoint lokpal. He urged the Court to use its extraordinary powers to make the Government fall in line.
The Selection Committee comprises of PM, CJI, lok Sabha Speaker and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi. Since there is no leader of Opposition in lok Sabha, the leader of the largest opposition party in lok Sabha is invited to the meeting as Special Invitee. The Congress Party has been boycotting the meeting as the panel does not recognize the vote of the largest Opposition Party in the lokpal selection process.