Lokayukta scare holds up Lokpal
All-party meet fails to break Lokpal logjam
An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday failed to break the stalemate on the contentious Lokpal Bill. Though the meeting ended inconclusively, the parties decided to work towards evolving a consensus. MPS from the DMK, Trinamul and the Opposition parties offered stiff resistance to the provisions related to creation of state Lokayuktas under the Lokpal Bill because it would infringe on the rights of the states to have their own anti-corruption watchdog.
Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the government “stands committed to an effective Lokpal legislation”.
However, the meeting failed to break the logjam as the Opposition members stuck to their objections to certain controversial clauses in the proposed legislation which was passed in the Lok Sabha last year during the Winter Session. The Bill remains hanging in the Rajya Sabha.
After the meeting, CPM MP Sitaram Yechury said that the political parties will work to reach a consensus on certain contentious issues during the recess of Parliament’s Budget Session from March 30 to April 24. “The Bill will be taken up in the second half of the Budget Session,” he said.
Technically, if any further amendments are carried out in the Lokpal Bill, it will then have to be passed by the Lok Sabha once again.
The Samajwadi Party claimed that the government was likely to refer the Opposition’s demands to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha.
Trinamul leader Sukhendu Roy said, “We opposed the inclusion of Lokayukta appointment in the Lokpal Bill in its present form as it will harm the federal structure.”
RJD’S Ram Kripal Yadav and LJP’S Ram Vilas Paswan opposed the creation of a Lokpal. Mr Yechury also called for the inclusion of corporates and NGOS which derive contracts from the government under the purview of the Lokpal.