Thaindian News

Agartala, Aug 23 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar Tuesday asserted that the prime minister must be included within the ambit of the proposed Lokpal bill.

“Prime minister must be included in the purview of the provisions of Lokpal. I congratulate social activist Anna Hazare for his unrelenting struggle against corruption and for an effective Lokpal,” said Sarkar, also a member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo.

In his address at an inaugural function of a building for the disabled, Sarkar also said that it was not likely that all corruption would be wiped out from the country with the formation of the Lokpal.

Sarkar said that Tripura is among the few states in India that have already passed the Lokayukta (ombudsman) bill and the chief minister’s post has been included in it.

President Pratibha Patil has recently given her assent to the bill, and it has been notified, but the non-availability of a sitting or retired high court judge was holding up the appointment of the anti-corruption authority, he said.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M Tuesday organised protest rallies across Left-ruled Tripura in support of Hazare’s stir and demanded an effective Lokpal bill in parliament.

Senior Left leaders, including CPI-M state secretary and party’s central committee member Bijon Dhar, addressed the gatherings.

“There are no effective steps to check the endless looting of the nation’s wealth. Black money is running a parallel economy in India. Disinvestment in government-run bodies, economic liberalisation and privatisation-friendly policies are the main source of corruption,” Dhar said

Lawyers, bank officials also organised separate protest rallies in Tripura in support of Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption.