By IANS,
New Delhi: The seventh meeting of the joint panel drafting the Lokpal bill ended Wednesday but with differences persisting between the government and civil society representatives on crucial issues, including whether to bring the prime minister under the ambit of the propsoed anti-corruption law.
“It is very clear that there was no consensus on crucial issues,” said Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, a member of the 10-member panel, after the over two hours meeting.
By June 30, draft Lokpal Bill will be sent to the union cabinet. “If there is no consensus, then the government will give its version and the civil society members will give their version,” Sibal added.
The next meeting is slated for June 20 and 21, he added.
The panel of five ministers and five civil society representatives drafting an anti-corruption Lokpal bill met here amid sharp differences.
The Lokpal drafting talks have also hit a roadblock over the insistence of anti-graft activists, led by Gandhian Anna Hazare, that panel proceedings should be telecast live, which the government is vehemently opposing.