NEW DELHI: An all-party select committee on the Lokpal Bill endorsed a draft which allows the prosecution of the prime minister by the Lokpal ombudsman, clearing the way for the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament.“The report will, in all likelihood, be tabled in Parliament on November 23,” chairman of the select committee Satyavrat Chaturvedi said.The draft which saw no dissent notes but ‘suggestion notes’ by opposition leaders also has substantive recommendations on the role of the Central Bureau of Investigation These suggestions mainly pertain to the selection of the CBI director through a collegium, in the manner in which CVC is appointed and the setting up of a directorate of prosecution under him.The collegium through which the CBI director would be chosen would consist of the Prime Minister of India, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.The tenures for both director of CBI and director prosecution would also be fixed, according to the draft bill. “The power of superintendence and direction of CBI in relation to Lokpal referred cases must vest in Lokpal,” said the draft cleared on Monday.“Officers of CBI investigating cases referred by Lokpal will be transferred with the approval of Lokpal,” it goes on to say.It was CBI’s role which was the major stumbling block to the bill and took several days of tactful negotiation to hammer out an acceptable form.The draft suggest that CBI remain under the control of the Department of Personnel and Training but the movement of cases under CBI, as referred to by Lokpal would be supervised by the Lokpal.Setting up of Lokayuktas in states was another bone of contention. In this instance, the government gave into the opposition’s demand that states would be free to either follow a model act cleared by the Centre or come up with their own acts.The compositions of the Lokpal, a proposed eight-member body also came in for some deep thinking. Some political parties had been demanding that representation of SC/STs, OBCs, women and minorities be ensured in Lokpal.The old draft had a clause which asked for “no less than 50 per cent members to be from these categories.” BJP moved a suggestion note stating that this clause was not legally sustainable and was open to widely divergent interpretations as well.The committee decided, “these provisions merely aim at providing representation to the diverse sections of the society in the institution of Lokpal and hence rules of reservation are not involved in this case. Accordingly, the committee does not recommend any change in the proviso to Clause 3(2)(b) that indicates the quantum of representation and not reservation.”The draft report also does away with the provision which allowed public servants to present their side of the case once a complaint against him/her has been admitted by the Lokpal.Lokpal will be able to order an investigation to establish whether a prima facie case can be established on the basis of a complaint and has no legal obligation to inform the public servant of said complaint.The composition of the Lokpal selection committee, which was earlier said to comprise the PM, Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker and the Chief Justice of India was said to be tilted in favour of the government.The committee suggested the addition of an eminent jurist, suggested by the other members of the selection committee as the fifth member.The Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, which had been moved in a specially extended winter session last year was referred to the select committee to break a parliamentary logjam on the issue.