(a) whether the Government has received the recommendations of the Standing Committee on the Prevention of Corruption (amendment) Bill, 2013;
(b) if so, whether the said recommendations are under consideration of the Government;
(c) if so, whether the Government proposes to incorporate all the recommendations and bring the Law into force at the earliest; and
(d) if so, the details thereof, and 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. (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a): Yes Madam, the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice presented its 69th Report on the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 on 6th February, 2014.
(b) to (d): The recommendations made in the aforesaid Report are under consideration of the Government. The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, in order to fill certain gaps in description and coverage of the offence of bribery so as to bring it in line with the current international practice and also to meet more effectively, the country’s obligations under United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
The said Bill, inter alia, proposes to address the supply side of corruption (punishment to bribe-giver), to protect honest public servants from vexatious prosecution for any bona fide omission or commission in the discharge of official duties and to lay down clear criteria & procedure for sanction of prosecution. Having regard to the fact that the Bill contemplates an important paradigm shift in defining the offences relating to bribery, Government sought the views of the Law Commission of India on the proposals contained in the Bill. The Law Commission of India, in its 254th Report on the Bill, presented to the Government on 12th February, 2015, has suggested a number of significant improvements in the Bill which are also presently under consideration of the Government, with a view to moving necessary official amendments in the said Bill. Government is keen to have the Bill passed by Parliament at the earliest. However, since the Bill will have to be considered and passed by both Houses of Parliament, it is not possible to indicate any time-frame for the purpose.