Many anti corruption bills will be passed in this session: Bansal
merisarkar news service New Delhi, November 16, 2011
Govt. determined to pass Lokpal bill:: Bansal
The Govt has said that it was determined to ensure passage of Lokpal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament, but expressed itself against any omnibus legislation that will create huge bureaucracies.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal also said that the Government will have an open mind and will give a very serious thought to the report of the Standing Committee going into the bill.
"It is a priority bill for the government. We are determined to pass it," he said when asked whether the Lokpal Bill will be passed in the Winter Session beginning 22nd November.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the session, the minister said he expected that the Standing Committee headed by Abhishek Singhvi to submit its report by month-end even though the time limit was till 7th December.
"Government stands totally committed to root out corruption. But it cannot be done through one instrument or one law and it requires a slew of measures," Bansal told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The forthcoming session concludes on 21st December and Anna Hazare and his team, who have been agitating on the Lokpal issue, are demanding that the bill be passed in this session.
Bansal insisted that if corruption has to be combated, then delivery of services by government departments needed to be on time.
"There is also the issue of public rocurement," he said.
"All this cannot be done through a comprehensive bill as it will not serve any purpose and will only create huge bureaucracies," he said.
Bansal said that if the Committee agreed, there could be a separate bill for giving constitutional status to the Lokpal, a demand made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
He said that the Committee has an even balance as regards representatives of the ruling side and the opposition.
Bansal said that work was on over half a dozen bills including on delivery of services.
Besides the Lokpal Bill, Government plans to bring in 30 other measures during the month-long session for consideration and passing.
Prominent among the measures are the Whistleblowers Bill, Judicial Accountability Bill, Women's Reservation Bill, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill.
The much talked about Land Acquisition Bill is unlikely to come up in this session as it was still with the Standing Committee which has held only few meetings to deliberate on it, Bansal said.
Other key bills that are scheduled to be introduced in the session are the National Food Security bill, Prevention of Money Laundering (amednment) bill, the Electronic Delivery of Services bill, the Companies bill and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority Bill.
