(a) the details of the discretionary powers enjoyed and used by the
Ministers in various Ministries, ministry-wise;
(b) the instances in which such powers are used by the Ministers and
senior functionaries of the Ministries, ministrywise;
(c) whether the Government proposes to put an end to all types of
discretionary powers enjoyed by the Ministers;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)
(a) to (e): The details of discretionary powers enjoyed by Ministers in
various Ministries/Departments are not centrally maintained. A Group of Ministers
(GoM) was constituted by the Government on 6th January, 2011 to consider
measures that can be taken by the Government to tackle corruption. One of
the terms of reference of the GoM was ‘relinquishing discretionary powers
enjoyed by Ministers at the Centre’. In this context, all Ministries/Departments
of the Government of India were requested to intimate the discretionary powers
enjoyed by Ministers at the Centre. On the basis of information received from
various Ministries/Departments in that context, a statement indicating the
discretionary powers of Ministries at the Centre is at Annexure-I. The GoM
reviewed the information received from all Ministries/Departments as regards
the discretionary powers enjoyed by the respective Ministries.
On the basis of the review, the Group of Ministers recommended that all
Ministries/Departments may carry out an exercise for putting in place regulating
parameters for exercise of discretionary powers and putting them in public
domain so as to minimize arbitrariness in exercise of such powers.
The above recommendation of the GoM has been accepted by the Government and
accordingly all central Ministries/Departments have been advised to put in
place regulating parameters for exercise of discretionary powers, wherever
such guidelines do not exist, and place them in public domain.