Supreme Court of India. (AP)

NEW DELHI: Irked by inaction to implement its nearly two-year-old judgement directing expeditious appointment of Lokpal , the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to give details of the steps taken till date for appointment of chairperson and members of the corruption watchdog.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul told attorney general K K Venugopal that “much time has gone by” and nothing tangible has happened towards selection of chairperson and members of Lokpal. “We request the learned attorney general to ensure that the steps taken till date are brought on record by means of an affidavit of the competent authority which shall be filed within two weeks from today,” the bench said listing the matter for January 17.

There is a reason for the bench’s expression of disappointment over the snail-paced process for selection of chairperson and members of Lokpal though the law — Lokpal and Lokayukta Act — was passed nearly six years ago. The NDA government had initially said the selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Speaker, leader of opposition, CJI or his nominee SC judge and an eminent jurist could not be constituted as there was no LoP as no political party in opposition in Lok Sabha had the requisite number of MPs to make its leader qualify for the post.

