Indians have a reason to cheer as Whistle-blowers Protection Bill, 2011 which has been already passed in Lok Sabha in December 2011 has been moved in Rajya Sabha on 14th August 2012.
Salient Features of this Whistle-blowers Protection Bill
- The Bill will protect whistle blowers, i.e. persons making a public interest disclosure related to an act of corruption, misuse of power, or criminal offence by a public servant.
- Any public servant or any other person including a non-governmental organization may make such a disclosure to the Central or State Vigilance Commission.
- Every complaint has to include the identity of the complainant.
- The Vigilance Commission shall not disclose the identity of the complainant except to the head of the department if he deems it necessary.
- The Bill penalises any person who has disclosed the identity of the complainant.
- The Bill prescribes penalties for knowingly making false complaints.
Verdict
Now it needs to be ensured that the name of whistle blower is not revealed in public as we have already seen engineers being murdered in National Highway case who tried to bring corruption in fore in national highway projects.
