Centre confident of passing Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow

CHENNAI: With BJP promising support "even without discussion" on the Lokpal Bill, Centre today expressed confidence that the legislation will be passed in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.

Union Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy, who had moved the amended Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill-2011 in the Upper House of the Parliament on Friday, recalled that no debate was possible then due to repeated adjournments.

He said Congress and its allies and BJP had supported the Bill even as Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP, which provides outside support to the UPA government, has made its opposition clear.

"Chances are high that the Bill will be passed in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow," Narayansamy told reporters at airport here.

Seeking to give a big push to the Lokpal Bill, Rahul Gandhi had appealed to all political parties to support the legislation as it was a "very very powerful instrument" in the fight against corruption.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley had said his party was ready to support Lokpal even without a discussion even as he alleged that Congress and its allies were blocking the passage of the legislation.

The amended bill delinks setting up of Lokayuktas in states, a highly controversial provision because of which many parties had opposed it in the House in December last year.

The new bill also grants powers to ombudsman to sanction prosecution against public servants.