Govt sends Jan Lokpal Bill to Standing Committee

Appealing to Anna Hazare to end his fast, the government on Wednesday said it has forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to Parliament's Standing Committee for consideration and it is up to it to take a decision.

"We have forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to the Standing Committee for its consideration. It is for the committee to decide," Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy said in the Rajya Sabha.

Winding up a short duration discussion on the issue of corruption, he said the government has an "open mind" on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

On the issue of inclusion of Prime Minister under the ambit of the proposed legislation, Narayanasamy said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was himself open to the idea.

Appealing to Hazare to end his nine-day-old fast, he said the Gandhian should help the government bring a strong and effective Lokpal Bill. He, however, said Parliament is supreme. "Parliament and the rule of law should be upheld by the government," he said.

Narayanasamy said Parliament was the only forum where the Lokpal Bill can be debated and passed. He said Lokpal Bill alone cannot end corruption and the government was in the process of bringing in several other legislations to tackle the problem.

Narayanasamy said that out of 40 basic points of the Jan Lokpal Bill, the government has incorporated 34 and there is "disagreement" on six issues only.

The six issues include whether to have a single Act for both Centre and the state, inclusion of prime minister, judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court and conduct of MPs inside the Parliament, he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party deputy leader in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia, however, said there has been "disapproval" on 27 points.