Lokpal: Parl panel report likely in early December
"It is before the Standing Committee. We are waiting for the Committee to give report. He (Committee Chairman) has indicated that in the first week of December, they will be able to give the report," Khurshid said while speaking at North Zone Lawyers' Conference on Legal and Electoral Reforms organised by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee here.
Standing Committee Chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was among those present, said, "The speed and the direction of the committee are nothing short of a miracle.
"We are hoping to complete our work soon and fast but we refused to give any deadline as it would be unfair to the Committee and its members."
Khurshid said that once the Bill is made available by the Standing Committee, "We will be going around the country talking to all enlightened people saying this Bill is far superior to anything that has been proposed or suggested".
Singhvi said the Committee will start its own internal deliberations from tomorrow. "I hope we will be able to do our job in quickest possible time...but there are more than 15-17 issues like the inclusion of the Prime Minister (etc)..there are strong pro and con arguments and every argument is being looked at".
Singhvi said that majority of issues are those on which "there cannot be any major debate unless one wants to make it political".
The term of the committee was recently extended till December 7. Team Anna which has been campaigning for a strong Lokpal Bill has demanded that the Bill be brought in the Winter Session of Parliament which is scheduled to begin on November 22 and continue till December 23.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said he was hopeful that the Lokpal Bill will be passed in the coming winter session of Parliament.
While making it clear that Government was committed to rooting out corruption and bringing in reforms, the three senior Congress leaders launched a veiled attack on Team Anna, saying nobody can force his way in a democratic set up.
Team Anna had first appeared before the committee in August this year after a 13-day fast by Anna Hazare that month demanding that the Jan Lokpal Bill be passed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Khurshid
said
the
UPA
government
is
"very
serious"
about
tackling
the
menace
of
corruption.
"I
am
not
saying
that
we
haven't
faltered.
I
am
not
saying
that
we
have
not
had
some
unpleasant
and
unhappy
examples
of
people
amongst
us....Let
us
not
blame
only
our
alliance
partners,
some
even
in
our
own
party
have
faltered
and
gone
wrong.
We
are
human
beings
and
can
make
mistakes.
But
there
is
a
system
that
makes
us
accountable,"
he
said.
The
Law
Minister
expressed
his
concern
over
the
"trial
by
media"
in
some
cases.
"You
can
ask
someone
(who
is
charged
with
doing
some
wrong)
to
step
down
from
office,
but
you
can't
condemn
them
without
a
proper
trial.
Unfortunately,
too
much
trials
are
taking
place
outside
courts.
A
lawyer
first
argues
the
case
inside
the
court
room
and
then
in
front
of
the
national
media,
which
is
unfair,"
he
said.
He
said
this
was
continuing
despite
Supreme
Court
having
warned
the
media
against
this.
"But
I
think
sufficient
amount
of
sanction
has
not
been
imposed
upon
the
people
who
do
that.
Reputations
are
destroyed
long
before
courts
come
to
conclusion
in
the
matter.
As
a
mature
nation
and
mature
democracy,
we
must
ensure
this
doesn't
happen,"
he
said.
"In some media programmes, a person is condemned even without having any chance to reply. Even worst of criminals have right to trial. We don't just shoot people for some wrong doing...," the Law Minister said.
PTI