Govt reaches out to Hazare as fast on Lokpal Bill nears

As veteran anti-graft crusader, Mr Anna Hazare, gears up for his July 25 fast in Delhi for a ‘strong’ Lokpal Bill, the Government has sought his support for arriving at a consensus on the issue.

The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office, Mr V Naryanasamy, in a letter to Mr Hazare on July 16, said that the Bill was a ‘national necessity’ and sought his ‘support’ and ‘encouragement’ in making it a reality.

Allaying fears of State Governments, the letter also indicated that provision of Lokayuktas may be delinked from the Lokpal Bill. Mr Narayanasamy said the Government proposed that the Lokpal Bill would have provisions for a model law for setting up Lokayukta in States, but did not spell out the details. At present, the Bill is with the Select Committee.

Seeking “constructive co-operation” from Mr Hazare, the letter made it clear that the Government was committed to getting the Lokpal Bill passed, provided it was acceptable to Parliament as a whole.

“The Government wishes to incorporate three key demands raised by you and which is found in the Sense of House resolution in the Bill…..We have also proposed a strong Lokpal Bill and a model law for states (for Lokayuktas) which will address the concerns raised by parties with respect to (encroachment on) federal structure of the Constitution,” he said.

Appealing to Mr Hazare’s good sense, he said “We want to make it clear that doing this is a national necessity and not an attempt towards partisan political one-upmanship.”

> aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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