Ex-CJI A M Ahmadi wants govt, civil society to work out Lokpal

The former Chief Justice of India A M Ahmadi today appealed to the government and civil society to work together towards sorting out the differences over the anti-graft Lokpal Bill and expedite its passage.
"Both sides should sit down across the table and hammer out (differences). It is a time when sense must prevail. You can't have everything. You must be ready to give and take. That is what is important...I think the earlier it is cleared it is better", Ahmadi said.
He was delivering a lecture on the 'Lokpal Bill' at the Administrative Staff College of India here this evening.

The former CJI stressed on the need to work out a manageable Lokpal which can be implemented.
"It (Lokpal Bill) is a very important legislation. The question is of its implementation. How the law will be implemented is a matter of serious concern and I have my own doubts," the former CJI said.
The Union cabinet had approved amended Lokpal Bill in February, which was disapproved by social activist Anna Hazare.

"Jan Lokpal Bill and the government's Lokpal Bill have differences on 10 areas. Among the differences is the civil society's demand that the prime minister be under the Lokpal's ambit whereas the government's bill wants him to be probed after demitting office," he said.

The former CJI rued that laws were enacted with lot of fanfare and quietly forgotten. "We make laws in a hurry and quietly forget them in a double hurry," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta Justice B Subhashan Reddy emphasised on the need for effective and proper implementation of any law, saying "we enact laws but we are very poor in its implementation".