Lokpal Bill tabled in Rajya Sabha, no consensus yet

Basic Three

1. The Lokpal bill was taken up for discussion in the Rajya  Today(  May 21 2012) two days before the budget session ends. 
2. Bill was referred to a parliamentary panel or Rajya Sabha panel for consideration as parties have failed to come to a consensus on the Bill's provisions.
3. Last night, the government had circulated a notice of amendment to the Bill, especially on the Lokayukta provision, leading to speculation that the measure could be brought for consideration and passage.(see side effects of this amendment ) 

Soon after the Bill was tabled, the Samajwadi Party moved a motion for referring it to the select committee. The BJP, however, objected to it.So The government later moved motion to refer the Bill to the select panel. Those who refereed bill to parliamentary pane commented that Bill should be referred because of lack of consensus over major issues like lokpal's dominance over the CBI etc.

Editor's View: We want to ask two things

1. Why the Bill is always discussed in the last days of a particular session? Last time  in winter season of parliament bill was discussed just three or two days before season's deadline. Similarly now too in budged season the bill is tabled just two days before it ends!
2. Why there is never a consensus over some issues which makes lokpal bill powerful?
   consensus will occur both Government, its allies and opposition will not hurdle the procedure. Hence, lack of consensus reveals that political class weather Govt or opposition don't want to pass this bill! 

The Bill was already sent to parliamentary panel and now again the same drama is being played, this will do nothing but delay the passage of bill to infinity! (also see Politicians are fooling Public over lokpal matter)

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Lokpal-Bill-tabled-in-Rajya-Sabha-no-consensus-yet/Article1-859162.aspx

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/no-consensus-lokpal-bill-referred-to-rajya-sabha-panel/952008/

Lokpal bill to come up in Rajya Sabha next week ,UPDATE FLASH

NEWS ON May 9 2012

UPDATE FLASH s.no.one

• Lokpal Bill is likely to be discussed  again in Rajya Sabha next week.  

• Heeding demands from opposition parties and allies like Trinamool, The GOVT may drop the clause on setting up a Lokayukta in the states  A minister, however, said that discussions are still on with the political parties concerned to thrash out the differences. 
• Sources in the government say that a major change will be made to the bill to accommodate the objections of Mamata Banerjee, who is a member of the ruling coalition, but had opposed the proposed  legislation claiming that it violates the autonomy of state governments.  

•   Once the Bill is passed by the Rajya Sabha with amendments, it will have to be sent back to the Lok Sabha for re-examination and approval  because this is a different version than the one cleared earlier. 

Sources: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Government-may-drop-Lokayukta-clause-in-Lokpal-Bill/articleshow/13069474.cms
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/lokpal-bill-to-come-up-in-rajya-sabha-next-week/256045-37-64.html
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/lokpal-bill-centre-gives-in-to-trinamools-demands-208494

Lokpal to be tabled in parliament in budget seasion

 Discussions on lokpal bill are likey to occur in parliament (Rajay Sabha) on Tuesday (13 Mar, 2012)
Bjp is demanding for this discussion . However, Government plans to take up DISCUSSION in the second part of the Budget Session beginning April 24.So there is a contradiction of schedule between BJp and Congress on this matter.Discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to Parliament is on the agenda for tomorrow. 

Opposite stands

•  Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the priority for the government was to get the Vote on Account passed by March 30 and Bills like the Lokpal Bill will be taken up in the second part.

• Close on the heels of Bansal's statement, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said he would move a motion for suspension of Question Hour in the Upper House tomorrow for discussion on Lokpal Bill.
• Soon after the BJP's threat to take up the Lokpal issue, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held consultations with her senior colleagues.

• The minister said that nearly 200 amendments to Bill moved in the Upper House in the previous session had lapsed after it was prorogued and members have started giving amendments afresh.
  

 
As many as 39 Bills including the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, Whitleblowers Protection Bill, the Educational Tribunals Bill, The Copyright (Amendment) Bill, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill are listed by the government for consideration and passing during the Budget Session.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_lokpal-bill-confrontation-likely-in-parliament-on-tuesday_1661529
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2987982.ece?homepage=true

Team Anna meeting in new Delhi today(Mar, 5 ,12) Short news

Two months after ill health (see more about Anna's health) Anna would attend a core committee meeting of Team Anna on Monday. The meeting comes days ahead of the budget session of Parliament.It is going to be the first meeting Hazare would attend since his illness in December last year forced him to take time off to recover.

Ahead of the meeting, Hazare insisted that the fight for a strong Lokpal would continue until it happens. Before departing for Delhi, Hazare said in Pune that the core committee would decide the date of his campaigning for Lokpal Bill.

Source:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/lokpal-bill-team-anna-meet-delhi/1/176545.html

Anna is still more popular than any other political figure: Survey shows

Those who thinks that Anna has lost the political and popularity grip will bite the dust, because latest survey ‘The Mood of Nation’ conducted by India Today reveals that Anna is n Top in people’s mind.

This survey is conducted across 19 states and 98 randomly selected parliamentary constituencies  with 12,648 voters/responders.

1. During survey 63% agreed that Lokpal presented by Government is weak and supported Anna’s Janlokpal version. 
2. When asked who will they vote for if both Anna and Rahul Gandhi were to contest election then 60% favoured Anna and only 24% took Rahul 
3. When asked who is their role mode then Anna  got the highest percentage(14%) beating Sachin Tendulkar(6%), Rajiv Gandhi(4%) , Amithab Bacchan(3%) Virender Shevag (3%), Narendra Modi(2%), MS Dhoni(2%)

Apart form this this survey also showed that next parliament election could see a PM from neither Congress nor BJP, parties other than these have better chance to form majority in parliament.
It showed that public's support for Congress has declined and now Bjp and Congress have support that is almost equal to each other but smaller than other parties.
SOURCE: INDIA TODAY ( February 6,2012 edition of magazine )
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/gallery/india-today-poll-mood-of-the-nation-2012/1/6443.html#photo10

Lokpal bill passed in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 by voice vote even as the Left, BSP and SP staged a walkout. SP and BSP staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha shortly before the voting on the lokpal bill in protest against the government bringing a "weak legislation"  

• Lokpal bill was passed without Constitutional status due to lack of 2/3 consensus in parliament . 
• Before the Lokpal Bill as put to vote the Government amended Section 24, the provision to keep armed forces under its ambit, 
• the state government will decide on the Lokayuktas, 
• and the requirement of three-fourth members of Lokpal to approve inquiry against the Prime Minister was changed to two-third.
• The Leader of the Opposition raised objections to several issues including creation of Lokayukta through the lokpal bill and the process of appointment and removal of the ombudsman 
• They also demanded inclusion of CBI under its ambit,

• The lokpal bill was rejected as weak and inadequate by several parties which wanted it to be withdrawn even Manmohan Singh pushed for it while rejecting demands for bringing CBI under the ambit of the anti-graft ombudsman.
• BJP's leader Yashwant Sinha called the Congress-led UPA government "morally bankrupt" which has brought a "brokepal" bill instead of lokpal bill. Sinha said that the rampant corruption in the country in the past years had prompted Anna Hazare to go on fast.
• Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said it should be sent back to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for further discussion to make it "effective and strong". "Accept our amendments or withdraw the bill... Send it back to standing committee for further discussion," she said while describing it as a "patently unconstitutional" legislation which the Opposition will not "tolerate".  
• Tearing into the bill in its present form, Swaraj said it would "sow the seeds of second partition" as it has the provision for religion-based reservation which was "patently unconstitutional".
• UPA partners, Trinamool Congress and DMK, also supporting parties like RJD and SP, maintained that the provisions to create Lokayuktas through a central legislation would impinge on the powers of the states and wanted that it should not be rushed under pressure of the Anna Hazare movement.
• RJD chief Lalu Prasad also demanded its withdrawal contending that the bill was brought in "haste under pressure".

• Pushing for passage of the bill, the Prime Minister said a "holistic" approach was needed to deal with the "cancer" of corruption but rejected demands for bringing CBI under the purview of lokpal, warning that no entity should be created inconsistent with the country's Constitutional framework.
   "I believe that the CBI should function independently of the lokpal. We believe that the CBI should function without interference through any Government diktat."He said
•  Prime Minister also dismissed opposition to the provision on setting up of Lokayuktas in states, saying federalism cannot be an impediment in the war against corruption as essential services in the states are the "bane" of corrupt practices. 
• Singh reiterated the supremacy of the Parliament and said that it should take the final decision on the bill. Singh said that others can persuade and have their voices heard but the final decision while making policy must rest with us.

• Demanding that lokpal should be accountable to both Parliament and Supreme Court, CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia said corruption by corporates and business houses should be brought under the lokpal ambit. 

• Kapil Sibal  led the Congress counter-charge and  hit out   at the BJP saying it had "political motives" to delay the bill so that it benefits them in the upcoming polls through Anna Hazare's campaign. "If you oppose this bill, you will be violating the sense of the House and people will never forgive you," he told the Opposition. 

Editor's View: This lokpal bill passed has a number of errors(see those errors ). Another thing to be considered is that Government got full time (more than 3 months to standing committee and full 6 months to government ) to frame a healthy lokpal so they or others should not blame Team Anna for lack of time.Government simply made a revengeful formality!! We didn't demand for this beggar faced lokpal! 
Source:  http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Lokpal-bill-passed-in-Lok-Sabha-by-voice-vote/Article1-787999.aspx
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ls-passes-lokpal-bill-left-sp-bsp-walk-out/215545-37-64.html

UPDATE {21/12(1p)}

The winter session of Parliament, which was scheduled to end on December 22, has been extended by three days from December 27 to discuss Lokpal Bill and other legislations. 

Anna has threatened to go on hunger strike from December 27 if Parliament fails to pass a strong Lokpal Bill, but there is no unanimity among the different parties on the proposed Bill.the UPA has decided to withdraw the old draft and introduce a new one in Parliament even though several smaller parties have accused the Government of trying to rush though the proposed anti-corruption legislation. 

Even as UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi addressed Congress MPs and assured them that the government bend further to please Team Anna and the Opposition, the UPA withdrew the old bill and decided to introduce a new draft. The BJP has given its nod to this proposal.

She told her party colleagues that the Government won't go down without a fight on the Lokpal Bill and will ensure that it doesn't meet the same fate as the Women's Reservation Bill.

She also reiterated that the Government and the party were united on the issue and hit out at the Opposition in general and the BJP in particular for trying to derail the Lokpal Bill.

"The Lokpal Bill has been cleared by the Cabinet. The Opposition will have lots of things to say. They should accept suggestions of Government. Team Anna should also accept it. The Opposition cannot reconcile to the fact that they lost (the 2009 Lok Sabha elections). The party and Government support each other, there is no rift between the party and Government," said Sonia.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury have questioned the UPA Government's intention while making it clear that Parliament will not rush through the anti-corruption legislation in a hurry to please Hazare and his associates.
Mayawati-led Bhaujan Samaj Party is also against rushing through the Bill while the Shiv Sena has opposed the concept of a Lokpal completely. The BJP and Biju Janata Dal have also opposed the Government version, but want an early passage of the Bill.

The BJP is yet to reveal its strategy but it has said that the party is ready for a discussion on the Bill any day. It is likely to raise objections on the procedure of the appointment of the Lokpal panel.
However, Keeping up the heat, Team Anna on Wednesday attacked the government for keeping CBI out of Lokpal's ambit, saying it 'totally destroys' the anti-corruption mechanism in the country by not giving an investigating arm to the ombudsman.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said the new bill will do "more harm than doing good" to the existing anti-graft machinery. Bedi said onTwitter, "The bill is not path breaking but breaking the path. Thank you Sonia G."

Source:http://ibnlive.in.com/news/lokpal-endgame-near-despite-anna-protest/213961-37-64.html

Anna's letter to PM

On Saturday (december 17) Anna wrote a letter to PM . Key issues of letter were about controversial things like CBI , citizen Charter,inclusion of lower bureaucracy etc.

Following are main allegations that Anna put on 7th para of four page letter 

• Demanding bringing CBI'a anti-corruption wing under Lokpal and make it its investigative agency, he said it appeared that no government weather it is bjp or congress wants to give away the control over CBI for political reasons. "Does it mean that Lokpal will not have an investigative agency. Without an investigative agency what will it do? Then it is better that we don't need a Lokpal," he said alleging irrespective of Congress or BJP, CBI was misused. Anna said.
• He  questioned on selection process for lokpal suggested by standing committee saying that  politicians play a major role in search and selection committee for Lokpal recruits. He said that there is no description of formation of search committee and that of conduction of selection process 
• Anna asked why PM why he changed his stand on Citizens' Charter despite giving a written assurance that it will be part of the Lokpal bill. "I was surprised when on 13 December Standing Committee decided to make  a new citizen charter isolated form lokpal. But You(PM)  earlier had said me that as per the parliament's  prescription chitizen charter should be indulged in lokpal then why you sent it again to standing committee?"
• He said that we waited till winter season and suspended all our agitations but now reports are saying  that the Winter Session will end on December 23.
  "We suspended all our agitations till Winter Session taking your word on face value. Reports published in media now says that the Winter Session will end on December 23. Will the Lokpal Bill be passed by then. We have doubts on this," he said.

Anna ji[1]

Source:http://www.scribd.com/doc/75919823/Anna-ji-1 (LETTER)
http://www.timesnow.tv/Anna-writes-to-PM-Congress-upset/articleshow/4391641.cms

COPY PROTECTED(contact editor to use the article) 

Team Anna Core Committee meeting

Team Anna's Core Committee  met on Wednesday (December 14)to chalk out future plans, including the proposed Ramlila Maidan agitation, if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

• Team Anna's core committee on Today's meet(Wednesday) decided that  Anna Hazare may shift his proposed fast later this month on Lokpal Bill from Delhi to Mumbai to avoid harsh winter conditions that could prevail in the capital. 
• The core committee also decided that its members will be in Parliament's Visitors' Gallery on the day when Lokpal bill will be introduced in the House, he told reporters. 

Core committee meeting will continue for two days from Wednesday.

Team Anna sources said the Core Committee will also discuss how to go ahead with their campaign in the five poll-bound state if the situation warrants. "There will be preliminary discussions on all these issues," a Team Anna member said.

Sources said the Core Committee will decide on the mode of Ramlila agitation like whether Hazare should sit on a fast or not and how to mobilise support for the protest, which will be held in chilly winter days.

There are also concerns about Hazare's health and all these factors will be considered while deciding on the protest mode, sources said.

Hazare has stepped up attack on the government on the issue bringing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the direct line of fire, saying the former "does not take any decision" and the latter was "watering down" proposals.

Congress has been insisting that Hazare should wait till Parliament passes the bill before going on a protest.

 Sources : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/team-anna-core-committee-meeting-today/211688-37-64.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Anna-Hazare-may-shift-fast-venue-from-Delhi-to-Mumbai-to-avoid-harsh-winter/articleshow/11108644.cms

Two more BJP states mull Lokpal akin to Anna version

After Uttarakhand, two BJP-led states, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh, are closely examining the Jan Lokpal bill. Both states have a Lokayukta in place, but have shown interest in amending the existing legislation to bring it closer to the bill drafted by Team Anna. 

Chhattisgarh has put in place a committee under the chief secretary to examine the Jan Lokpal billand the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act. Sources said Chhattisgarh was looking at restructuring its existing Lokayukta Act to bring in an independent investigation wing under the ambit of the law, besides other changes. 

However, the Chhattisgarh government is likely to wait till the Centre passes the Lokpal bill and examine its provisions. The state assembly session is scheduled to start in December and unlike Uttarakhand there are no elections coming up in the state, and hence there is no immediate political compulsion to expedite the process. Sources said the state may wait a while before restructuring its legislation to fit the Jan Lokpal's provisions. ``We want it to be in tandem with the Centre's act,'' a source said. 

The activists have been in talks with several states after the early success with Uttarakhand that has adopted the Jan Lokpal bill in toto. The team, however, ran in to rough weather with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar as Team Anna members criticized the state Lokayukta draft as ``weak''. Kumar hit back, saying he did not need a certificate of approval from anyone except the public. 


Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Two-more-BJP-states-mull-Lokpal-akin-to-Anna-version/articleshow/10886725.cms

'Lokpal Panel to Decide Next Week on Inclusion of PM'

The Parliamentary Panel going into the Lokpal Bill will take a call on the issue of inclusion of Prime Minister in the anti-corruption watchdog at its meeting this week, its chairman Abhishek Sighvi said today(november 27).

"We have to discuss the issue in the next meeting," Singhvi told PTI adding,"we are now at the stage of report adoption and we hope to complete the work within this week".

Singhvi said 25 issues including those concerning media, corporates, NGOs, lower bureaucracy and citizens grievances have been "comprehensively dealt with" in the substantive report.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel and Law and Justice scrutinising the Lokpal Bill had on November 24 ended its internal deliberations with "broad consensus" on most of the issues including giving constitutional status to Lokpal.

Asked whether the report will satisfy everyone, Singhvi said "we are not here to satisfy everyone or anyone. We are here to satisfy our conscience and the nation".

The panel has been asked to give its report by December 7.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kuman Bansal has already indicated that the government plans to bring the bill in the last week of the current session of Parliament which concludes on December 21.

The panel is preparing to circulate the draft report of its recommendations to the members in the next few days.

Team Anna had earlier expressed surprise at the move to exclude Citizen's Charter and lower bureaucracy from the ambit of the ombudsman, saying it was contrary to a Parliament resolution.


Source:http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=742747

Standing committee's decisions on PM's and CBI inclusion

The standing committee in a meeting on 16 november recommend that the CBI's anti-corruption wing be given more autonomy and be placed under the Lokpal's supervision.(However there is a provision of collective participation of lokpal and CBI instead of complete control by Lokpal)

•  Lokpal will conduct preliminary investigation into a corruption complaint and refer it to CBI for investigation.
• CBI would investigate the same and then forward the case to the directorate of public prosecution to be created under the supervision of Lokpal. 
• Any suggestion by the Lokpal for prosecution should be accepted. A rejection, if any, should come either from the secretary of the department(lokpal) concerned or a higher authority.
• The committee outlined a structure that harmonises or coordinates the roles of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Central Vigilance Commission and Lokpal.

While some members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Law and Justice felt that the Prime Minister should be brought under the Lokpal, others were of the view that this should be avoided.The Parliamentary panel on Lokpal bill, is divided on the inclusion of prime minister under the ambit of the anti-corruption watchdog.

The committee got at least four suggestions on the matter of the PM's inclusion.

• There were demands for completely excluding the PM and his office, particularly from Congress members. Team Anna had told the panel it was for complete inclusion of the PM and PMO.
•  Certain members said the PM's post could be brought under the Lokpal's ambit after the completion of his/her tenure.
• Another argument was that since the PM was in charge of departments such as personnel, public grievances & pensions, planning, atomic energy and space, all these will be out of the Lokpal's purview if the PM was excluded. They argued that only the departments that deal with national security can be excluded. Sources said all suggestions would find a place in the report.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Lokpal-to-get-part-control-of-CBI/Article1-769721.aspx

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-16/news/30405853_1_civil-society-activists-lokpal-team-anna

Anna to send 34 'Jan Lokpal missionaries' across nation . NDTV reports

Anna Hazere is working towards spreading awareness in the country on the proposed legislation that will arm an ombudsman (lokpal ) with extensive powers to check corruption.

On Sunday, Hazare decided that all the 34 district heads working for his Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Aandolan Trust (BVJAT) should go to all the states in the country to create awareness on the importance of the Jan Lokpal bill and explain to the public why it is imperative that Parliament pass it during the Winter Session.

At a two-day annual convention in Hazare's village Ralegansiddhi that had all senior representatives from BVJAT in attendance, the activist decided it was time to nominate his people to spread the word on the strong version of the bill that he wants passed.

"Anna's main concern is to get the Jan Lokpal bill passed in Parliament," said K D Pawar, city president of BVJAT, who attended the meeting. "Hazare recently visited five states in the country to get the pulse of the people and know what they feel about the Jan Lokpal bill. Now he wants us to go and create awareness in all the states in our country."

Booklet on bill
Hazare has prepared a booklet on the Jan Lokpal bill detailing its intention and scope in Marathi, and is planning to translate it into Hindi for all citizens. "There will not be any need to go to these states if the government passes the Jan Lokpal bill in the Winter Session," said Pawar.

BVJAT coordinator Shankar Tadakhe said Hazare was skeptical about the Jan Lokpal bill getting approved. "The first RTI bill was approved in 2000 but was opposed by Hazare himself because it did not cover his demands. If the same thing happens with Jan Lokpal Bill, he may even restart his nationwide agitation," he said.

The missionaries
A first list of 17 people from Anna Hazare's trust who will be visiting 22 states to build support for the Jan Lokpal bill has been made. These people from various places are:
Advocate Ajit Deshmukh (Beed), Uddhav Bobade (Usmanabad), Vikas More (Parabhani), Suresh Durve (Gondia), Chandrashekhar Bandage (Gadchiroli), Anil Thamre (Amrawati), Gajanan Harne (Akola), Jaiprakash Khot (Buldhana), Sudhir Deshmukh (Latur), Gopalrao Bele (Nagpur), Ashok
Sappan (Ahmadnagar), Bhavesh Patel (Mumbai), K D Pawar (Pune City), Radheshyam Jagtap (Pune District), Narayan Powar (Solapur), Ramrao Gorde (Aurangabad) and Bhagwan Phirange (Jalna).



Anna also declared that nobody should use his name while campaigning for elections(like Bjp is doing). "Those who want to contest an election  should contest on their own responsibility. I shall raise my voice against it if somebody is misusing my name for his or her campaign," Hazare said.

Hosted From: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/anna-to-send-34-jan-lokpal-missionaries-across-nation-152021

Judiciary out, Grp A-B staff included in Lokpal

As the Parliamentary standing committee examining the Lokpal Bill began finalising its report to be submitted in the Parliament, reports have said that 

• the panel has decided to keep the judiciary out of the anti-corruption ombudsman’s purview. 
• the panel has favoured the inclusion of Central government’s Group B staff as well in the Lokpal’s ambit, as against the original proposal of including just the 85,000-odd Group A staff. Group B services roughly included 1.7 lakh staff. 
•  the Committee is believed to have decided that the Lokpal Bill would also provide for Lokayuktas in states, as demanded by the Anna Hazare-led civil society group. 
• While the  Lokpal Bill seeks to have provision of imprisonment of not less than two years for persons filing false or frivolous complaints, it also seeks to impose a fine of Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh against such persons. But committee members were understood to have supported imprisonment of up to six months and a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakhon the lines of the contempt of court proceedings. 
• The same committee had recommendedreducing the punishment for the Whistleblowers Bill and the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill onfrivolous and false complaints. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the development Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal has expressed concern over keeping the judiciary out of Lokpal's ambit. 
He, however, welcomed the reported decision to bring Group B government staff under Lokpal's ambit. Group C and D staff should also be brought under Lokpal's purview as they are the ones with whom the common man deals on a daily basis, he demanded.

Editor's View: Keeping Judiciary out of Lokpal's is and bringing Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill  not a bad decision as it is important for Judiciary System to be not under any institute and to be independent, and Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill will do the work of anti-corruption watchdog in Judiciary without bringing judiciary under Lokpal 

Source:http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/judiciary-out-grp-a-b-staff-included-in-lokpal_741930.html 

Lokpal Bill on govt agenda for winter session

 The government on Wednesday (november 16 2011) said its legislative agenda for the winter session of parliament that includes the Lokpal Bill and Whistle Blower Protection Bill. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the session, starting Nov 22, will have 21 sittings.He hoped the parliamentary standing committee examining the bill will be able to submit its report by Dec 1. 
 

The minister also gave a list of 31 bills that the government intends to pass during the winter session that ends Dec 21.  Bansal also met chief whips of all political parties to discuss the issues they wanted to take up during the session. 

"Political parties want to discuss issues like price rise, black money, division of states, energy security, corruption, situation in Afghanistan, earthquake in Sikkim and also issues concerning the farmers," he added.
Anna Hazare has threatened to go on a hunger strike again if the government does not pass the bill in the winter session. 
Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/lokpal-bill-on-govt-agenda-for-winter-session_742165.html

No deadline can be given for Lokpal report: Singhvi

The Parliamentary Committee looking into the Lokpal Bill may not be able to finish its work before the Winter Session of Parliament, which begins in the second half of next month, as it lost valuable one month’s time due to delay in its re-constitution.

An indication to this was given by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Personnel and Public Grievances chairperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi who said that no deadline or timeline can be given for submission of report. “We are trying, but no commitment has been made to submit the report before Parliament session.”

 Singhvi denied media reports that he was holding panel meetings late in the evening and on Saturday for his convenience which was causing a lot of inconvenience to members and claimed that many members who are also part of JPC and PAC prefer evening timings and Saturdays for the Lokpal panel's meeting.


Source: http://dailypioneer.com/nation/14705-no-deadline-can-be-given-for-lokpal-report-singhvi.html

Lokpal Bill by winter session of Parliament: Khurshid

REPORTER pradip kumar maitra(hindustan times)
Union law and judiciary minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday asserted that the Lokpal Bill would be tabled in the ensuing winter session of the Parliament for debate and consideration.When asked about Anna Hazare’s call for renewed agitation and his proposed move to campaign against the Congress in states going to elections, the union minister said he had no idea why Hazare was doing all that. "The government is keeping its word given to Anna when he broke the fast -- that the Lok Pal Bill be re-drafted. The standing committee is holding deliberations to make the Bill a comprehensive piece of legislation. His two other demands of Lokayuktas for each state and Citizen’s charter are also under consideration,” he said.


Commenting on Hazare’s demand for right to recall(ie a right where citizens has right to reject their existing political representative), Khurshid said it was as impractical as holding elections all over the country on one day.  “Conducting free and fair elections takes too much time and effort, the recall facility would only complicate the matters”, he opined. On the Gandhian crusader’s campaign against the Congress in the ensuing state elections, he quipped, “Anna should leave politics to us. He should better concentrate more on social issues.”


According to him, it’s unfair to blame the Congress for the delay of 42 years in enactment of Lok Pal Bill. No other party gave it priority. Even the movement started by socialist icon Jai Prakash Narayan was silent on Lok Pal. “So it was only a matter of fixing priorities and the Congress-led UPA gave more importance to RTI Act, food security bill and now the communal violence Bill," explained Khurshid.
He said by December the government would bring a slew of legislations including Bill on transparency in public procurements, citizens charter, electoral reforms, protection to whistleblowers, strengthening the CVC --all this will change the public perception against the UPA government and make governance more effective.


Answering a question, the union minister said that the right to information (RTI) Act that the government brought in to enhance transparency was now becoming a hurdle in its working. "We have no regrets to have brought in the RTI Act. But then too much of RTI work is hitting the working of government department. It is slowing down the development work. Time has come to have a clean discussion on its pros and cons. There is no question of retreating. We all have to think how we can make it more effective and hassle-free,” he said denying that he or the government has reservations against the RTI provisions.


Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lokpal-Bill-by-winter-session-of-Parliament-Khurshid/Article1-754953.aspx