New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS): The Search Committee has held its first meeting for recommending a panel of names for appointment of Chairperson and members of Lokpal, Department of Personnel and Training said on Wednesday.

The department said the meeting was convened on Tuesday in the presence of all members of the Committee.

"The Committee decided to call for applications and nominations from eligible persons to be considered for position of Chairperson and Members of Lokpal through an advertisement at the earliest. The Committee will meet again within a fortnight to carry on further deliberations," said the department.

As per a government document, the Search Committee was constituted under section 4 (3) of Lokayuktas Act 2013 for the purpose of recommending a panel of names for the appointment of Chairperson and members of Lokpal.

The names of the Committee are Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (former judge of Supreme Court) as Chairperson and Justice Sakha Ram Singh Yadav (former judge of Allahabad High Court), Ranjit Kumar (former Solicitor General of India), Arundhati Bhattacharya (former CMD of SBI), Dr Lalit K. Panwar (former Secretary), Shabbirhusein S. Khandwawala (retired Director General of Gujarat), A. Surya Prakash (Chairman Prasar Bharti), and Dr A.S. Kiran Kumar (former Chairman of ISRO) as its members.