Govt slogs to meet Anna deadline
With Dec 27 fast threat looming, bid to iron out wrinkles in draft on
With Anna Hazare breathing down its neck, the Government on Sunday worked till late at night to rework the Lokpal Bill 2011 and find a formula to avoid yet another fast by the 74-year-old Gandhian.
The Union Cabinet had a meeting on Sunday, but it ended without taking any decision on the Lokpal Bill. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, however, went into a huddle with senior ministers immediately after the late evening meeting of the Union Cabinet and discussed the sticky issues in the proposed legislation.
Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and other senior ministers held discussion till late at night to give final shape to the cabinet note on the Lokpal Bill. The Union Cabinet may meet again early on Monday to clear the Bill so that it could be introduced in Parliament before its ongoing winter session comes to its end. Prime Minister on Saturday said that no one should doubt the Government’s sincerity in passing the Bill in the current session of Parliament.
Ahead of the Union Cabinet meeting on Sunday, some of the Union Ministers informally met at the residence of Khurshid and tried to finalize the draft cabinet note. “You all know that how many days are left (for Parliament session). We have literally worked day and night to ensure that we meet the deadlines,” said Khurshid. “Let us just get the Bill done and bring it to the Cabinet so that it can be brought before Parliament as quickly as possible,” he said.
Briefing the members of the Union Cabinet on Lokpal, Mukherjee is understood to draft of the bill was being finalized, incorporating recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievance, Law and Justice, which examined the legislation introduced in Lok Sabha on August 4 last, and certain suggestions made at the all-party meeting held last Wednesday.
The government, however, on Sunday appeared amenable to make certain changes in the Lokpal Bill, including inclusion of the office of the Prime Minister in the ambit of the institution of ombudsman, albeit with certain riders.
To make it sure that the Lokpal does not initiate probe into any frivolous or politically-motivated complaint against the prime minister, the Government wants to make it mandatory to have the consent of the three-fourth members of the proposed panel before going ahead with the probe against the chief executive of the government. The Government also wants to ensure that the probe into allegation of corruption against Prime Minister is not conducted under the media glare and its report is sent to Parliament.
Bringing the Prime Minister and his office within the purview of the Lokpal is one of the key demands of Team Anna, which is also insisting on putting the Central Bureau of Investigation under the proposed institution of ombudsman. The Government is also considering a proposal to insert a provision to have the provision for Lokpal supervising the CBI on corruption cases referred by it. There may also be a provision for creation of an independent ‘Directorate of Prosecution’, carving out from the CBI.
The Government is trying to formulate an appropriate mechanism to include the Group C employees within the purview of the Lokpal.
