Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Stressing that the the Lokpal bill would be passed in the winter session of parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday said the government was “committed” to implementing in “letter and spirit” a good and effective ombudsman bill based on political consensus.

“The government is committed to implement in letter and spirit a good and effective Lokpal Bill that would have a quick and positive impact in further curbing the cancer of corruption without any adverse effects on the efficiency of our system of public administration,” he said at an all-party meet to discuss the Lokpal bill that aims to tackle corruption in society.

The all-party meet was called to evolve a consensus on the contentious bill after crusader Anna Hazare announced that he would launch an agitation again from Dec 27 for a strong Lokpal.

In his address, the prime minister said that members from all political parties have been “invited” to the meeting to seek their “guidance and views” on the Bill.

“It is for this august group to indicate how far the recommendations of the standing committee meet the sense of the parliament and how far the various provisions are feasible and efficacious,” he added.

“I am personally keen that this momentous legislation should be passed on the basis of consensus among all parties as far as possible and that this should not be subjected to party politics in any way.

“This is an occasion where we must keep the interests of the country foremost in our minds.

“The government is also keen that we must make all efforts to pass a Lokpal bill in this very session that is based on consensus and that is driven by parliament as the custodian of legislation,” he added.

He said a similar meet was held in Aug 24 when Hazare was fasting at Ramlila Maidan for a strong Lokpal.

“Based on that discussion, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had made a statement on the same day in both the houses of parliament about the sense of the two Houses,” he added.

Quoting his letter of Aug 27 to Hazare, he said that he had “requested him to end his fast.”

“I had said that the parliament had agreed in principle on three matters,” he said, while listing Citizen’s Charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism and the establishment of Lokayukta in the states - as the three key demand of Hazare.

“The sense of the houses and the records of discussions in parliament had then been conveyed to the standing committee for their guidance,” he added.

He said the standing committee formed to examine the Lokpal bill has completed its deliberations.

Manmohan Singh praised the panel for completing its report in “record time”.

“All of you would have seen the recommendations of the standing committee on the various issues and also the corresponding provisions of the draft bill tabled by the government earlier,” he added.

The government had met its allies Tuesday and arrived on a “broad consensus” on the issue.