The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council will continue looking into the Lokpal Bill despite the formation of a joint-committee involving the government and civil society groups, including Anna Hazare on Saturday.
Realising its significance, the NAC had decided to take up the Lokpal Bill in February following which its working group on transparency and accountability, headed by Aruna Roy, started interactions with the civil society groups on April 4. The WG will hold further consultations on the issue on April 17 before it finalises the principles and framework of the bill.
NAC sources said they have not rejected the government’s draft bill but are also not in full agreement with some points of the Jan Lokpal Bill, put together by the civil society groups.
NAC sources said the only space the advisory body provides is for discussion and debate when the government begins a process of legislation with little or no participation of its people.
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‘Will make time for drafting bill’
Bala Chauhan
Bengaluru
April 9: Welcoming the Centre’s decision to constitute a joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill, Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde, whose name figures prominently on the list of five panellists from civil society for drafting the bill, said that he is willing to accept the offer. “Though I have not as yet received an official offer to be on the panel, I will accept it if it comes through,” said the Lokayukta.