Lok Pal panel to meet on Monday Hazare in hospital

While osteoarthritis is keeping social activist Anna Hazare confined to a Pune hospital, a cautious Union finance ministry is going the extra mile to ensure everything is in place for the next meeting of the drafting committee on the Lok Pal bill. The panel is chaired by Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The second meeting is scheduled on Monday and the government had, till today, no intention of cancelling it due to Hazare’s ill health. The committee — of five Union ministers and five campaigners for a strong ombudsman to address graft — is the outcome of a much-reported agitation led by Hazare.

A joint secretary, supported by a few Director-level officers, have been specially assigned to make all arrangements for the meetings of the committee. According to a top official in the ministry: “We have handled a lot of high-profile meetings of Groups of Ministers to draft new legislations or discuss contentious issues. Never before have so many officers been deployed to make arrangements for meetings.”

As Hazare had requested for a Hindi or Marathi interpreter in the previous meeting, the ministry has hired two from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The two interpreters will take turns to simultaneously interpret the English deliberations. Each is expected to be paid Rs 450 a day. According to sources, the joint secretary (vigilance) will oversee all the arrangements, including handling and preparation of drafts, notes and other important papers. He has especially been roped in as the matter is related to transparency and tackling corruption.

The ministry is keeping audio records of the meetings. These will be transferred on to two CDs and one of these sent to the Central Vigilance Commission. The other copy will be kept in the ministry. The JS (vigilance) has been asked to oversee the making of the CDs and promptly sending one in a sealed cover to the CVC’s office soon after the meeting, to avoid any allegation of tampering.

Hazare’s attendance remains doubtful for the second meeting of the much-hyped committee. Doctors at the Pune hospital have advised him bed rest for a week, after the osteoarthritis pain intensified. As of now, the government plans to go ahead with the meeting with the other members, even if Hazare is unable to attend.

Apart from Hazare, the four other non-government members are Shanti Bhushan (also the co-chair), Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Santosh Hegde.