Govt did not take oppn into confidence on Lokayukta bill: HP Congress

Congress in Himachal Pradesh today accused the BJP government of passing the Lokayukta Bill 2012 in a haste without taking the opposition into confidence.    

"The bill is very weak and would not prove to be an effective instrument in dealing with corruption among public servants and Congress could not have supported it," HPCC general secretary Kuldeep Singh Rathore told mediapersons.

It was an important bill and should have been debated at length but the government did not allow even two days' mandatory time and rushed through the legislation, he said.

Rathore said Team Anna also distanced itself from the bill after gauging the intentions of the government.

Meanwhile, the BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt accused the Congress of running away from debate on Lokayukta Bill and said it did not want the legislation to be passed.

The Lokayukta Bill passed by the state assembly was very strong and even better and effective than the Uttarakhand Bill and Congress which failed to bring an effective lokpal Bill at the Centre was criticising the BJP for political mileage, he said.

Opposing HPCA's demand that the historic Annandale Ground be handed over for multiple sports activities and indoor stadium, Rathore said it should be kept undisturbed as "natural heritage site".

He alleged that the government had some vested interest in getting their Annandale back and handing it over to HPCA as had been done in the case of Dharamshala Cricket stadium.