Meeting Anna's Aug 30 deadline is impossible: Govt sources

New Delhi, Aug 20: The war cry that Anna Hazare has given clearly demands the Lokpal Bill to be passed before Aug 30, failing which he will not budge from his indefinite fast. But sources in the government have been reported by the media as saying that the possibility of passage of Jan Lokpal Bill by August 30 is unlikely.

The sources were reported as saying that the Lokpal Bill, introduced by the government in the Lok Sabha, was currently before the Parliamentary Standing Committee which has got to do a lot of due diligence before it could give its recommendations on it.

They also ruled out any possibility of the two bills being taken up by the Committee and Parliament at the same time. The Committee has so far heard only Hazare and his associates, they said, adding even the mandatory advertisement calling for views has not been issued yet.

In what can be also a grim reality and helplessness, the sources reportedly said the Hazare camp should "understand" the reality and Parliamentary procedures. At best, the government sources said, Team Anna Hazare can present its draft to the Committee for its consideration and beyond that nothing else could be done at this stage.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid earlier said nobody could be prevented from introducing a private member Bill in Parliament but it should have majority support to be passed.

OneIndia News
(With PTI inputs)