Lokpal Bill panellists agree on most issues, says Kapil Sibal

New Delhi, May 23(ANI): Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, a member of the Lokpal Bill joint drafting committee, said that the panel - consisting of representatives of the Central government and the civil society - was in agreement over most issues, after its fourth meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

"Basically we went through the entire gamut of basic principles, which we needed to discuss on the basis of which the legislation is to be framed. That exercise is over and we believe that almost on half the issues there is an element of convergence," Sibal said.

"On the issues where there is not, no complete convergence, we have put them in bracket and we will be discussing those very issues in the next meeting," he added.

Sibal emphasized on the need for the bill that advocates transparency and accountability, as well as enforcing strict measures for tackling corruption.

"The principle of transparency, principle of authorities disclosing their assets, all public servants disclosing their assets in a particular fashion, the principle of the power of the Lokpal to look into criminal complaints, to deal with corrupt practices all these issues in principles there is an agreement," he said.

The Telecom Minister also said that the meetings are going well, and the panellists are confident of introducing the bill in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.

"I feel that the speed with which our discussion is moving forward, we should be able to complete our work by June 30, so that this bill can be produced during the monsoon session of the Parliament," he said.

The panel would meet next on May 30.

It has 10 members, five each from the government and the civil society, which includes noted social activist Anna Hazare, lawyers Shanti and Prashant Bhushan, Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal and former Supreme Court judge N. Santosh Hegde.

The government is represented by Sibal, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Minority and Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. (ANI)