Govt issues notification on panel to draft Lokpal Bill

Giving in to demands from anti-corruption activists, the government today issued a gazette notification on formation of a joint committee headed by senior minister Pranab Mukherjee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.

The notification, one of the key demands of the anti-corruption campaign launched by Gandhian Anna Hazare, has been signed by V K Bhasin, Secretary, Legislative Department of the Law Ministry.

The notification was proudly displayed at the site of Hazare's fast at Jantar Mantar by Kiran Bedi to the loud cheering of the assembled gathering there.

Apart from the terms of what the committee would do, the notification contains the names of those on the 10-member panel headed by Finance Minister.

The committee will also include Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Water Resources Minister Salman Khurshid as members.

Besides Hazare himself, those representing the civil society in the joint committee will be eminent lawyers Shanti Bhushan, Prasant Bhushan, retired Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal. Shanti Bhushan will be the co-Chairman.

"We had demanded a government order (GO) in this regard. The government went a step ahead and issued a notification," said social activist Swami Agnivesh.