Divergent views on issues relating to scope of Lokpal bill: Government

NEW DELHI: There was a "divergence of views" between the government and the civil society members on a number of issues relating to the scope of the Lokpal Bill, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

"While state governments took a stand that they could furnish their views only when a draft bill is presented to them, some civil society members had divergence of views on issues relating to the scope of the Lokpal Bill," Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office ( PMO) V Narayanasamy told the lower house in a written reply.

"Some of the major issues on which there were divergent views are -- should there be a single enactment providing for Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the state?, should the Prime Minister and judges of Supreme Court/High Courts be brought within the purview of the Lokpal? and should the conduct of MPs inside Parliament (speaking or voting in the House) be brought within the purview of the Lokpal," he said.

The minister said that there is a demand for strong anti-corruption law to deal with the menace in the country.

"The government constituted a joint drafting committee on April 8, 2011 to prepare a draft of a Lokpal Bill, with five nominee ministers of the government and five nominees of Anna Hazare, including himself.

"Based on the deliberation of the joint drafting committee and on the basis of inputs from Chief Ministers of states and from political parties, the government drafted a Lokpal Bill and introduced it in the Lok Sabha on August 4,2011," he said.