Independence day, Deadline for Bill: civil society demands

Anna Hazare has vowed to go on another fast unto death from 16 August if the Lokpal Bill was not passed by Parliament by 15 August.saying that the government is creating artificial obstacles to smooth functioning of the drafting committee as it did not want to yield ground on the black money issue. 

Lokpal drafting committee also challenged the government to conduct a referendum on the citizen's support to Jan Lokpal Bill. 

"Let there be a referendum in the country on the Lokpal Bill prepared by the government and the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by the civil society. Let the one that has maximum support of people be passed in Parliament,"  said Prashant Bhushan

But government criticised setting  15 august the deadline, saying law making is not at will. Law making is a functioning of a process . 

Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs Ashwani Kumar hit out at Hazare for resorting to "fast-to-death at the drop of a hat".

Indicating that law enactment is a lengthy process, Kumar said one has to discuss the bill with stake-holders, assimilate everybody's view and also see "what the Constitution permits, laws permit".

He said one has to understand that there are "competing priorities in governance".

"You cannot in the garb of being a crusader against corruption undermine the established institutions of Parliamentary democracy".  Kumar said

Edited From  http://www.domain-b.com/people/in_the_news/20110608_anna_hazare.html and 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_legislation-doesnt-take-place-at-the-drop-of-a-hat-govt-tells-anna-hazare_1553597