The Union cabinet on Tuesday cleared three major anti-corruption bills to counter Anna Hazare’s movement. Hazare has threatened yet another indefinite fast from December 27 demanding passage of a strong Lokpal Bill.
Instead of conceding to his demand to include all anti-corruption measures in a single Lokpal Bill, the Cabinet cleared the Judicial Accountability Bill, the Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures (whistleblower) Bill and the Grievances Redressal and Citizens Charter Bill.
Union home minister P Chidambaram got a small change made in the citizen’s charter bill to require action by the officer concerned within one month and not within 15 days as proposed in the draft bill.
The principal Lokpal Bill was not put on the agenda since the PM is to talk to the allies on Tuesday night and then the Opposition on Wednesday to firm up issues to be included or excluded in the revised Bill.
Sources say it will be tweaked on the basis of the parliamentary standing committee’s report submitted to Parliament last week.
Though the purpose of rushing with major corruption bills is to blunt the Team Anna’s movement, Hazare has already gone on record that he wants the citizen’s charter under the Lokpal and not through a separate bill.
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