Lokpal Bill to come up tomorrow in Rajya Sabha

The Lokpal Bill will come up in Rajya Sabha tomorrow and is a "priority" for the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said today.

"Our priority is Lokpal Bill. The Lokpal Bill has to be taken up in Rajya Sabha, and then it will come up in Lok Sabha," he said, adding the government will list the measure in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.

He also dismissed suggestions that there was any plan to curtail the Winter session of Parliament.

Asked about reports that Government is considering adjourning Parliament sine die by Friday, he said, "There is no plan at the moment to curtail the session. We have allocated time for other businesses and we have a list of priorities".

He said the government also has to secure the passage of the supplementary demands for grants of the Finance and Railway ministries.

The Winter session, which started on December 5, is scheduled to end on December 20.
Government has assured Anna Hazare that the bill will be taken up in the ongoing Parliament session, but the anti-graft crusader has started an indefinite hunger strike to press for its early passage that entered third day today.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj accused the government of trying to cut short the session, thereby stalling the anti-graft bill and said her party is keen that it is taken up without delay.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party made it clear that it will oppose the Bill in the Rajya Sabha while the JD(U) and NCP supported its early passage.