Lokpal Selection Committee to meet today to constitute a search panel

New Delhi, July 19: The Lokpal selection committee, headed by the Prime Minister, will meet today to set up a search panel for recommending names for the appointment of the anti-graft ombudsman and its members.

The committee comprises the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, the leader of the largest opposition party and an eminent jurist.

The Centre had on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that a meeting of the Lokpal selection committee has been called for on Thursday, July 19, for constituting a search panel.

A bench of the top court, headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, was informed by the Centre that the search committee will recommend a panel of names of people for appointing a Lokpal.

Following this, the court refused to make any direction on the issue and expressed hope that the selection committee would lay down a time frame for the search committee to complete its mandate under the Act.

Earlier in July, the court asked the central government to file a report on the appointment of an anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal.

Last year, the apex court had said there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended until the proposed amendments were cleared by Parliament.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas are governing bodies at the central and state levels, respectively, appointed to check corruption by all public servants, including the Prime Minister.

Under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013, the high-level selection committee for appointments to Lokpal comprises the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), the Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist chosen by them.