Union Cabinet to take decision on promulgation of ordinances

A meeting of the Union Cabinet is likely soon to take a decision on promulgation of ordinances to deal with corruption and protection of rights being pushed by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.
The meeting could be held tomorrow or early next week.
Indications to this effect were available tonight after a two-hour-long meeting of the Congress Core Group, chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side.
Defence Minister A K Antony, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Gandhi, are members of the Core Group.
Four Union ministers including Law Minister Kapil Sibal were special invitees at the Core Group meeting which deliberated on the issue. Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and V Narayansamy were the other ministers.

There was no official word on what transpired at the meeting.

The Union Cabinet, which met this morning, decided to put off a decision on the ordinances amid speculation that its special meeting could be held on the issue.
Ordinances on Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill and Right of Citizens for Time-Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill - both dealing with corruption - were on the Cabinet agenda.
These are among the anti-corruption bills being pushed by Rahul Gandhi to create a "framework" to fight graft.
These proposed legislations could not be passed during the extended Winter Session of Parliament due to disturbances.

Along with these, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, Rights of Persons with Disability Bill, Security Laws (Amendment) Bill and Delhi High Court Act (Amendment) Bill were also on the agenda.
The Law Ministry had sent notes with all the ordinances on whether the reasons given by various ministries to promulgate the executive orders were acceptable to the Union Cabinet. The reason was that often ordinances have to withstand judicial scrutiny.
As Parliament session came to an end on February 21 and five of the six anti-graft measures being spearheaded by him failed to see the light of the day, Rahul had launched a blistering attack on the Opposition and had said that he would discuss with the party leadership regarding the option of ordinance route to push the measures.