Lokpal meet ends inconclusively

Civil society members accuse the government of trying to kill the Lokpal before it is born

Civil society members accuse the government of trying to kill the Lokpal before it is born

Government and civil society were yesterday deadlocked on the Lokpal Bill, prompting both sides to agree that a note would be sent to the Cabinet by June 30 carrying both their versions.

At the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting of the joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill, differences persisted between the two sides on the proposed ombudsman, particularly its structure and modalities.


Justice Santosh Hegde, Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal after the Lokpal Bill drafting committee meeting in New Delhi yesterday

The Anna Hazare-led civil society members suggested that the Lokpalu00a0 be empowered to probe corruption cases against officials, doing away with the practice of conducting a departmental probe along with a CBI inquiry.

However, the government members rejected this demand. The other issue which was discussed in the meeting was the structure of the Lokpal panel.
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While the civil society proposed an 11-member, independent anti-corruption watchdog with subordinates having powers, the government side differed arguing that only 11 members be empowered to take decisions.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal said the committee wouldu00a0 meet again on June 20 and 21 in an attempt to bridge differences.

"It is clear there are areas where there is a strong divergence of opinion...Hopefully the civil society members will give us a draft on issues of divergence.
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We ourselves will prepare a draft on the issues on which we think there is divergence and we will try and arrive at a consensus.

If no consensus is arrived at, we will forward a draft bill with both versions so that the Cabinet can take a view," he said. The process will be completed by June 30.

Claiming that nothing was achieved in yesterday's meeting, activist Arvind Kejriwal said, "the government is trying to kill the Lokpal even before it is born."

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said setting up the institution of a Lokpal was a laudable initiative, but added that the Centre should consult the states on the whole bill and not just on the six points on which the government and the civil society representatives differ.

He also said any consultation with the states without preparing the final draft was a "premature and casual process."

Chief ministers of Haryana, Kerala and Maharashtra, which are ruled by the Congress, have strongly toed the party line. "I subscribe to the views of the All India Congress Committee," Kerala chief minister Ommen Chandy said in his response.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who is heading the Congress Government, has reserved his opinion and said wider consultation is required, including with major national political parties.

But Raman Singh, chief minister of BJP-ruled Chhatisgarh said consultation without a draft Bill is premature and it is "curious" that CMs are being consulted only on six issues and not on the entire range.

Similar views were expressed by chief ministers of BJP-ruled states like MP and Uttarakhand. Orrisa's Naveen Patnaik also asked for the final draft and consultations on all the points in the Lokpal Bill.

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