Though one can say that Anna Hazare has been the catalyst for a government who is usually very slow at introducing and shaping bills, it now seems that things are getting out of control. The 74 year old Gandhian was detained at his home and later arrested to prevent his fast to the death for a strong anti-corruption Lokpal bill.
ANNA TEAM BEFOOLED; GOVERNMENT DRAFT TO BE TABLED TODAY
The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) has proposed bringing the Prime Minister under the Lokpal with the safeguard that the executive head can only be investigated on the recommendation of the full benches of the Lokpal and the Supreme Court.
Returning to Delhi for the first time after the June 4 crackdown at Ramlila ground, the yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Sunday renewed his attack on the government and claimed that it had “no will” to create a strong Lokpal to check corruption.
The government on Friday said that it was yet to begin with the final drafting of the Lokpal bill and was open to face fresh suggestions with regard to the bill before sending the bill to the cabinet for final approval. Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said that what they have is not the final draft bill but it is the draft from the government representatives in the joint drafting committee. He also added that after receiving feedback from the political parties, they will work on the final drafting of the bill and will send it to various ministers for consultation, following which would be placed before the cabinet.
The government representatives and civil society members of the Joint Drafting Committee on the Lokpal Bill decided on Monday to resolve the differences at the next stage of wider consultations with political parties.
The rift within the Lokpal Bill Draft committee continues to widen. The civil society and the government representatives who form the committee may have agreed to disagree but on Thursday the claws came out.