No immediate decision on appointment of Lokpal: Centre to SC

The Union Government of India on 23 April 2014 informed the Supreme Court that it will not take any immediate decision on the appointment of Chairperson and members of the Lokpal. This decision of the central government virtually indicated that the decision on the appointment rests in the hand of the new government, which will be formed after general election.

The decision of the Union Government of India was passed to the bench of Supreme Court headed by Justice RM Lodha by Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran. Following the information passed by the Solicitor General, the bench of Supreme Court posted the case for hearing on 5 May 2014.

The Court by posting the date of next hearing said that at present there is no need of any interim order on the PIL that challenged the selection for the Lokpal as the government has assured that no decision will be taken till the next hearing.

Background
At present Supreme Court is hearing a plea filed by a NGO, Common Cause. The NGO in its plea is seeking a stay on the entire selection process of appointment of Chairperson and Members of the Lokpal. Common Cause in its plea has said that the government was going ahead with it despite the apex court being seized of the issue. Following the PIL of Common Cause, the Supreme Court on 31 March 2014 issued a notice to the Government seeking its response on selection process of Chairperson and member of the Lokpal. It also asked the center to justify within four weeks the Search Committee Rules, 2014 that is framed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2014.