PM re-engages civil society, writes to Anna on Lokpal

New Delhi, Jan 21: Sudden awakening of the Congress to the reality of corruption and civil society is not an isolated event but a part of scheme of things involving the government at the highest level too.

Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi spoke of the urban middle class and awareness of it and positioned the party and themselves on the side of youth and the middle, which has been the force behind the current civil society movement, especially the Lokpal bill.

Picking up the party theme enumerated by the top leaders at the Jaipur meet last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is re-engaging the civil society and he has written to anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Lokpal.

According to media report, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has written afresh to Anna Hazare giving an assurance that the government was committed to passing the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill at the earliest.

The letter written on Jan 10 was received recently by Hazare, who spearheaded the anti-corruption crusade and on the passage of the Lokpal Bill. The bill has divided the polity and successive governments have stalled passing of the bill.

The bill, after being passed by the Lok Sabha, has been lying in the Rajya Sabha and was likely to be debated during the coming budget session of Parliament.

The PMO's latest letter gave a fresh assurance to Hazare that what the prime minister had promised in his letter on Aug 27, 2011, would soon be fulfilled.

OneIndia News