Lok Sabha passes amendment to Lokpal Act

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 27

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed an amendment to a provision of The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, that deals with declaration of assets of public servants, their spouses and dependent children. 

Union Minister Jitender Singh, who moved an amendment to Section 44 of the Act, said public opinion prompted the change. The approaching deadline for declaring assets made the change urgent, he said.

July 31 is the last date for declaring assets for assessment year 2016-17.

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The Parliament’s Standing Committee will also consider the mooted changes, Singh said in reply to a question.

‘Public servant’ in the act includes NGOs, civil servants and Parliamentarians. 

The public servants and NGOs are exempt from meeting the July 31 deadline for declarations. The central government will notify the new date.