Whistleblowers' bill gets cabinet nod; awaits parliament approval

To help protect the identity of whistleblowers, the union cabinet today approved the 'public interest disclosure and protection to persons making the disclosure (protection of informers) bill, 2010', which provides for severe punishment to those exposing the identity of people disclosing information about malpractices by those in authority.

The bill provides the Central Vigilance Commission with the powers of a civil court to hand down judgement on people revealing the identity of those exposing malpractices by people in authority. It has provisions for preventing victimisation and taking disciplinary action against those exposing scams, and will cover central, state and public sector employees.

The Bill is expected to encourage disclosure of information in public interest and people who expose corruption in government. The bill has clauses, which provide fine and penalties to people, who punish those exposing corruption.

The CVC will be the nodal authority to handle such complaints. It will also have power to punish those making frivolous complaints.

The bill will be tabled in the ongoing monsoon session of parliament and become an act after it is passed by President Pratibha Patil.

It will put the onus on the CVC to protect the identity of citizens who provide information about the misuse of public money and authority. The bill empowers the CVC to take action against those who reveal the identity of, or even threaten whistleblowers. It will also be able to take action against anyone who makes frivolous complaints.

The bill comes after the murders of Manjunath Shanmugam, Satyendra Dubey, and many other 'right to information' activists who have exposed incidents of corruption by public servants and political leaders.