Lokpal panel chief hints at delay in report
July 25th, 2012 - 5:33 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) Even as Team Anna started an indefinite fast here demanding a stringent anti-corruption law, the head of a panel on Lokpal Wednesday said it may be tough for it to give a report in parliament’s monsoon session starting Aug 8.
“We have had four-five meetings within a month or so, which was available to us to function. The committee is trying to speed up the proceedings but it looks difficult (to submit report) as enough time is not available,” Satyabrata Chaturvedi, chairman of the select committee on Lokpal, told reporters.
The Lokpal bill was sent to the 15-member select committee of the Rajya Sabha May 21. The committee was expected to give its report on the first day of the last week of the monsoon session to be held from Aug 8-Sep 7.
The central government reiterated that it was committed to bring an effective Lokpal bill.
“This bill was passed in the Lok Sabha and was brought to the Rajya Sabha which was mandatory and then there were over 185 amendments. There was so much discussion that it could not be passed. It was sent to the select committee by the members of parliament because they want more discussion to make it a powerful law,” said Minister of Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
“We have passed many other bills like providing protection to whistle blowers and citizen’s charter, which clearly demonstrated desire and commitment of the government to bring transparency in the functioning of our day-to-day life,” she said.
The bill was last debated Dec 29 last year, the last day of an extended winter session, when the house functioned till midnight but was adjourned without passing the bill.
The select committee held its first meeting June 25.
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- Lokpal bill delayed, select committee to give report in winter session - Aug 31, 2012
- Lokpal bill sent to select committee of Rajya Sabha (Second Lead) - May 21, 2012
- Government begins efforts to reach consensus on Lokpal bill - May 10, 2012
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- Government to face opposition heat on Assam violence, power outages (Curtain raiser) - Aug 06, 2012
- Government to pursue Lokpal bill in budget session - Mar 12, 2012
- Lokpal bill discussed in Rajya Sabha - May 21, 2012
- Lokpal Bill banks on people's legal illiteracy: Bedi - Aug 15, 2012
- Important bills for budget session (With Coalition hiccups come to the fore in parliament) - Apr 01, 2012
- Differences on Lokpal bill narrowed down: Government - Apr 23, 2012
- 13/20: another low-yield parliament session ends (Roundup) - Sep 07, 2012
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Tags: ambika, amendments, blowers, central government, charter, citizen, corruption, desire, first meeting, Lok Sabha, members of parliament, monsoon session, New Delhi, parliament, proceedings, rajya sabha, select committee, transparency, winter session