Little scope for discussion in next talks: Santosh Hegde

Meetings of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill slated for June 20 and 21 would be a mere formality with little scope for discussion, Karnataka lok ayukta and a member of the panel Santosh Hegde today said.

"The next two meetings will be a mere formality of exchanging the two drafts of the bill," Hegde told reporters a day after talks on various issues between the government representatives and civil society members on the committee failed to make a headway.

"Therefore, I think the main part of the discussion is over. Everyone felt the decision has been taken and there is nothing more to be discussed. At least that is the feeling of the Jan Lokpal committee," he said.

Hegde said there were no roles left for Anna Hazare to play in this decision making process.

Emphasising that the fight against corruption must go on, he said not only the party currently in power at the Centre but practically every party that has ruled the country after independence had not rpt not made a serious effort towards creating an effective Lokpal.

Accusing successive governments post-independence of not being serious about creating the ombudsman, he referred to eight bills prepared by the government to fight corruption.

"That itself is an indication that no government has the intention of creating a stringent anti-corruption law or create a strong institution to fight corruption," he said.