Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) With the winter session of parliament two weeks away, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice examining the Lokpal issue, Tuesday reiteratedd that “it is wrong to put timelines for the panel”.

“The splendid coverage (work) of this committee in the past five weeks is nothing short of a miracle. Though there is no need for pessimism for the future, it is equally wrong to put timelines for the panel,” Singhvi told IANS.

His comments come even as members of the panel, cutting across party lines, are “concerned over the issue and want the committee to submit its recommendations to parliament during the month-long winter session” that begins Nov 22, said sources.

“Everybody is for a strong Lokpal. I hope we will be able to submit our report in time,” a standing committee member told IANS on condition of anonymity.

The sense of timing in the panel stems from the fact that parliament, through a sense of the house Aug 27, had assured Anna Hazare to address his concerns on the draft Lokpal bill.

Hazare has also threatened to campaign against the Congress in the assembly elections in five states scheduled next year if the Lokpal bill is not passed in the winter session.

The bill can be introduced by the government only after the standing committee submits its recommendations.

Sources said the standing committee would conclude the process of public consultations on the proposed legislation Nov 14-15.

Around 90 percent of public consultation process is over.

After that, the panel will take up the sticking points, like inclusion of the Prime Minister’s Office under the Lokpal, setting up Lokayuktas in states, whether or not to bring the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Vigilance Commission under it besides discussing qualifications of the Lokpal and issues like who all should be in the search committee, to shortlist names.

The panel has received six drafts of the bill. The standing committee will go through the various drafts of the Lokpal bill, including the Jan Lokpal bill of Team Anna and one by Aruna Roy-led National Campaign for People’s Right to Information.

The panel will also consider suggestions by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and former chief election commissioner T.N. Seshan besides the drafts submitted by the citizens.

Sources said there is a general consensus in the committee that the proposed anti-corruption ombudsman should have a constitutional framework to make it a strong and independent body.

So far, the panel has heard views of around 50 groups including former judges, lawyers, officials, activists, NGOs and individuals on the issue.

Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar and CBI director A.P. Singh have already expressed their reservations before the panel on bifurcating the agencies.