Ralegan Siddhi:
The Lokpal Bill, a draft of which is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Friday, has been the raison d'etre of Anna's India Against Corruption campaign this year. The bill creates a new independent ombudsman -a committee of nine members - who will investigate charges of corruption against government servants. Team Anna has its own version of the bill, called the Jan Lokpal Bill. After 74-year-old Anna's epic fast in August, parliament formally agreed to consider Anna's three must-haves for the Lokpal. The Gandhian says the draft of the Lokpal Bill is a betrayal of this assurance.
Here are some of the highlights from Anna's press conference at Ralegan Siddhi.
- The government's intentions are not clear
- What the Parliament says we must accept, but key issues remain
- Inclusion of class 3 and 4 employee in the ambit of Lokpal is essential
- Parliament passed a resolution, why go back on that?
- A strong bill should not take so long, if the government want to have it passed
- They can extend the session of Parliament, if they need to
- Will not comment on Sharad Pawar