Govt to engage with civil society on graft issue: PM to Hazare

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said his government will engage with the civil society in addressing the concerns over corruption.

The assurance was given by the prime minister to anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare who called on him in New Delhi yesterday.

"I appreciate and share your concerns on corruption," Singh told the group and requested Hazare not to carry out his threat to go on a fast on the issue of graft.

Demanding enactment of a strong anti-corruption law on the lines of Jan Lokpal Bill, Hazare had threatened to go on an indefinite fast from April 5 if the prime minister does not act decisively on his suggestion by March-end.

Hazare had wondered how the government could pass the anti-corruption Bill without consulting anyone from the civil society.

Hazare, who had led a group of civil society activists also presented him a draft of their proposal on Lokpal.

The group accepted the prime minister's suggestion that a sub-committee of the group of ministers going into the corruption issue could interact and discuss the draft with the civil society activists, a prime minister's office (PMO) release said today.

The group argued that the country expected meaningful reforms to tackle corruption in public life.

The prime minister had last week invited Hazare here for a discussion on the issue.

Law minister M Veerappa Moily and minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy were also present when Hazare had met the PM.