Draft report on Judges Inquiry bill in monsoon session

Mumbai, July 6 (UNI) The draft report on the Judges (Inquiry) Bill is in the final stages and would be placed in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Commitee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, Mr E M Sudarsana Natchiappan told reporters here.

''We have been soliciting suggestions and opinions on the issue from various quarters. Now, we are in the last leg of preparing the draft report which will be placed in the forthcoming monsoon session,'' Mr Natchiappan said.

According to the House Panel Chief, the Committee through the draft bill has tried to synchronise the two school of thoughts on the issue of removal of Judges in case of complaints.

''One opinion favours action against an erring Judge through the proposed National Judicial Council, which would consist of the Chief Justice of India, two seniormost Judges of the Apex Court and two Chief Justices of two high courts. While the other section favours impeachment proceedings through Parliament under section 124 (4) and section 124 (5),'' Mr Natchiappan said.

The draft bill seeks to strike a balance in these two opinions, without undermining the authority of either Parliament or the Judiciary, he said yesterday.

Earlier, the committee held review meeting with officials from Maharashtra government and various public sector undertakings on functioning of greivance redressal mechanism in the PSUs.

The PSUs which attended the House Panel meet included IDBI, SIDBI, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, Air India, Cotton Corporation of India, New India Assurance Ltd and Nuclear Power Corporation.

The committee members, during their meeting with PSU representatives discussed the status of public redressal grievances mechanism and policy of appointment on compassionate grounds.

The parliamentarians, who attended the meet were Dr P C Alexander, Mr Shailendera Kumar, Mr S K Kherventhan and Mr Tariq Anwar.

UNI