Govt, Oppn fast track Lokpal, decision next month

The government on Friday stepped up efforts to iron out differences on contentious aspects of the Lokpal Bill, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meeting leaders of various parties during which it was decided that the legislation could be taken up during the second half of the Budget Session.

At the all-party meet of Rajya Sabha members convened by the Prime Minister at his residence here, it was agreed that the government will work for a consensus on the wording of contentious aspects of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill during the intervening period of the Budget Session.

"The government along with major political parties will come out with a consensus. The government is committed to bring the Bill in this session. The actual wording of the Lokpal Bill will be worked out during the intervening period the Budget Session," CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury told reporters.

He said the Bill cannot come up during the first half of the current session ending March 30, as the budget has to be passed before the end of the current financial year.

"The Bill will be taken up in the second half... This week it cannot come up in this session as the budget has to be passed," said Yechury.

There was consensus in the meeting on having Lokayuktas in states, but the prerogative for their appointment will be that of the state, he said.

UPA's allies Trinamool Congress and DMK also raised the issue that the Centre should not interfere with the powers of the states for having Lokayuktas.

Trinamool leader Sukhendu Roy said, "We opposed the inclusion of Lokayukta appointment in the Lokpal Bill in its present form as it will harm the federal structure."

Samajwadi Party general secretary Mohan Singh told reporters that the government will refer the opposition's three main demands on Lokpal issue to the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha.

These demands were delinking of Lokayuktas from Lokpal Bill, making appointment process of the Lokpal more democratic and inclusive and creation of an independent probe agency under Lokpal and bringing superintendence of corruption cases probed by the CBI under the Lokpal.

However, Ram Kripal Yadav (RJD) and Ramvilas Paswan (LJP) opposed the creation of a Lokpal.

On the issue of bringing the CBI under the Lokpal's ambit, Yechury said, all issues related with corruption should be under the Lokpal.

"If the CBI does such investigations, then the CBI's anti-corruption wing will be under the control and superintendence of the Lokpal," he said.

Yechury also called for inclusion of corporates and NGOs which derive contracts from the government under the purview of Lokpal.

All-party meeting on Lokpal Bill ended on today

An all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which aimed at bringing an end to the deadlock over Lokpal Bill, ended on today.

The meeting was held to discuss the proposed legislation which could not be passed on the last day of the Winter Session in Rajya Sabha amid pandemonium.

While attending the meet the prime minister said that United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is committed to an effective Lokpal to check corruption.

"Our government stands committed to an effective Lokpal legislation," Manmohan Singh said at the all-party meet.

"We look forward to benefitting from the wisdom and guidance of all leaders present here in the task that we have set for ourselves," he said.

Leaders of parties in Rajya Sabha including BJP's Arun Jaitley, BSP's SC Mishra, RJD's Ram Kripal Yadav, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP'S Tariq Anwar and CPI's AB Bardhan met at the Prime Minister's residence to discuss the controversial bill, to which 97 amendments have been moved by Opposition members in the Upper House.

Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, AK Antony and Salman Khurshid were among those present at the meeting.

Opposition parties have moved 97 amendments to the Bill in Rajya Sabha some of which were contentious and the meeting would discuss ways to evolve consensus on them, sources said.

Some of the amendments, the sources said, are for bringing the Prime Minister's Office under the Lokpal, seek exclusion of Lokayukta from the Bill, abolition of minority quota and inclusion of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha as one of the members of the selection committee.

Government is keen on passing the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha even as the opposition and social activist Anna Hazare have renewed pressure on the issue.

Hazare has said he will go on a fast from March 25 if the Bill is not passed while BJP has said in the Upper House that the debate and amendments to the Bill should be taken up from where they were left on the night of December 29 when the House was adjourned amid a din.

Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill.

Under the renewed effort, the government is planning to drop the clauses in the Lokpal Bill pertaining to setting up of Lokayuktas in states, a provision that faced stiff opposition from friends and foes alike.

The fresh consultation is aimed at ensuring that the anti-graft Bill is passed in the first part of the Budget Session which ends on March 30.