Lokpal panel on the brink of collapse
16 Jun 2011
Government ministers on the Lokpal drafting committee have taken up the job of drafting the bill all by themselves even as the civil society members called the meeting with the government a "drama".
The differences between the ministers and the civil society members came to the open on Thursday with home minister P Chidambaram saying the proposed legislation will be drafted by the 30 June deadline.
Anna Hazare, on the other hand, blamed the government for backtracking on the Lokpal bill by refusing to bring the prime minister and other high offices within the purview of the Lokpal bill.
"We continued to work even when Team Anna stayed away," Chidambaram said, adding it cannot allow creation of a parallel structure.
"On behalf of the government, we want to reiterate what we have been saying - it is our intention to draft a strong and sound Lokpal bill, and we will complete it by June 30," Chidambaram said at a press conference jointly addressed by human resource development minister Kapil Sibal and water resources minister Salman Khursheed.
The PM's post may be brought under Lokpal, but with clear-cut exceptions, Chidambaram said, adding no decision has been taken as yet and it is open to discussion.