New Delhi:
The Prime Minister today chaired a high-level meeting on the cabinet note to be circulated ahead of tomorrow's cabinet meet on the Lokpal Bill. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy were at that meeting.
The cabinet met this evening to clear the Food Security Bill. (
Read) At that meeting, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee briefed the cabinet on all the changes being proposed in the Lokpal Bill.
Dr Manmohan Singh, who said yesterday
he was keen to pass the bill in this session of Parliament, is hoping to remove all outstanding issues to allow the cabinet to give a go ahead to the bill.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani said today that the final authority over the proposed legislation rested with Parliament. "We definitely need a strong and effective Lokpal, there are no two ways about it. But the fact remains that the Lokpal Bill will be passed by Parliament only," Mr Advani told reporters. His remarks should provide a major boost to the government's morale which has recently found itself cornered with major Opposition parties singing chorus with Mr Hazare over several of his key demands in the anti-graft bill - most notably, the inclusion of the Prime Minister, the lower bureaucracy and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the ambit of the Lokpal.
Finding itself increasingly isolated, the government has decided to partially accede to some of Mr Hazare's demands that it hopes would placate the veteran activist as also the Opposition and project itself as being serious about its intention of the creation of a strong and effective Lokpal. The Lokpal is an ombudsman meant to tackle cases of graft among government servants.
Sources tell NDTV that amongst the key features of the bill to be brought to the Cabinet are that the Prime Minister will be under Lokpal but with certain safeguards. These include the rider that the PM can be referred for a preliminary probe if three-fourth of all Lokpal members agree. The probe proceedings will be held in camera, and the report will be sent to Parliament.
On the issue of the removal of the Lokpal or any of its members, sources say, the government doesn't favour an impeachment. The removal of the Lokpal can be done through a reference of the President. Such a reference shall be made, the craft proposes if 100 MPs sign a petition against any Lokpal member.
On the contentious issue of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has been a flash point, sources say, the draft proposes the investigating agency will report to the Lokpal only on cases referred to it by the ombudsman. The CBI chief's appointment remains an outstanding issue, though in principle, reportedly the government has agreed on a selection panel comprising the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition, the Lok Sabha speaker and the Lokpal chairman.
Mr Hazare and his team of activists, popularly known as Team Anna, are not happy with the current draft of the Lokpal Bill. On Saturday, in a letter to the PM, Anna said the government's draft of the bill is not strong and alleged that the Centre is not keen to let go of control of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "Lokpal is toothless without the CBI under it," he said in his letter.
The inclusion of the CBI under the ambit of the Lokpal is one of the key demands that the 74-year-old Gandhian has been pressing for. Team Anna is miffed over the CBI being kept out of the Lokpal's jurisdiction in the latest draft of the bill prepared by the Parliament's Standing Committee which was tasked with studying the proposed legislation.
Mr Hazare has also raised questions over the selection process of the nine-member Lokpal as recommended by the Standing Committee.
Expressing hope that the Prime Minister would respect the commitment he made during his fast in August, Mr Hazare reiterated his warning of beginning yet another fast on December 27 if the promises weren't fulfilled - of passing a strong Lokpal Bill in the current session of Parliament. He also reminded the PM of his earlier threat to begin a "jail bharo" across India from January 1.