Ministers have cleaned up the draft of the changes in Lokpal Bill, but a Cabinet meeting unlikely tonight, Law Minister, Mr Salman Khurshid, has said. Officials will prepare the final draft tonight before it goes to Cabinet, he added.

Earlier in the day, a group of senior ministers met here to give final touches to the Lokpal Bill, which the Government proposes to table in Parliament tomorrow.

The Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, the Law Minister, Mr Salman Khurshid, the Telecom Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, and the Minister of State for Personnel, Mr V. Narayanasamy, attended the meeting to finalise the draft.

The changes, if cleared, would be taken to the Union Cabinet which will have a special meeting tonight at 9.00 p.m., sources said.

Among the proposals that the Government is said to be considering are bringing the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Ombudsman with some safeguards, inclusion of Group C employees and possibly hiving off the prosecution wing of the CBI.

comment COMMENT NOW