Fix Lokpal law else professionals may quit govt bodies: CII chief

CII HAS ASKED GOVT TO REVISIT THE LOKPAL LAW THAT PUTS OFFICIALS OF NGOs, TRUSTS ON PAR WITH GOVT OFFICIALS

A controversial provision in the Lokpal law could undermine a decade-long effort to bring top management of the private sector on to the board of government-run institutes, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president warned.

The CII has asked the government to revisit the Lokpal law that puts functionaries of NGOs, societies and trusts on par with government officials. The law treats industrialists and senior professionals on the boards of government-run institutes as public servants. They can be booked for bribery and must make their assets and liabilities public.

“If this provision stays,” CII president Naushad Forbes told HT on Friday, “I would think that everyone (from the industry) is going to reconsider their involvement as chairmen or members of institute boards — I certainly would”.

Forbes – co-chairman of the Pune-based group Forbes Marshall – is also the chairman, governing council of the government’s National Institute for Design at Ahmedabad. “This action would also reverse the efforts of the government made over the last 15 years to bring senior professionals on the board of its own institutions,” he said.

The provision was part of the Lokpal law passed by Parliament in 2013 to set up a national ombudsman to probe corruption charges against central ministers, MPs and government officials.

Last month, the government extended the law to cover officerbearers of a trust, charity or society if it either received foreign funds in excess of `10 lakh or had an annual income of `1 crore-plus. The government gave office-bearers a month — till 31 July — to declare their assets. For its employees, however, the government had extended the deadline for over two years.