By IANS,
New Delhi : The Lok Sabha will Saturday take up the Lokpal issue for debate after Leader of the House and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee makes a statement on the matter, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said here Friday.
Mukherjee, Bansal said, will make the statement immediately after the house assembles for the day’s sitting and the house will debate the issue following the statement.
“The opposition BJP had objected to a debate Friday when the deputy speaker had taken up a notice from Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit on the Lokpal issue.
“Their demand was that the government should make a statement instead of a private member’s notice. The government has agreed to it,” Bansal told reporters at the parliament house here.
“Now, the leader of the house and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will make a suo motu statement and he had requested permission from the Speaker, who has permitted it. There is no rule for such a debate and it will be on the statement of the minister,” he added.
Bansal expressed the hope that the debate will take place in a congenial atmosphere in the house.
He also appealed to Anna Hazare, who has been on a fast for the past 11 days pressing for a strong and effective Lokpal Bill, to withdraw his fast.