Government not sincere in passing Lokpal bill: CPI-M

NEW DELHI: CPI-M today accused the Centre of "not being sincere" in passing the Lokpal bill even as the Government said that the fact that it has listed the bill in legislative agenda is a clear indication that it wants to pass it.

"Government is not sincere. Government does not want Lokpal bill to be passed by both Houses of Parliament and that is why it is being delayed. We have been pressing, we have been asking the government," party MP Basudeb Acharia told reporters outside Parliament.

He said that select committee of Rajya Sabha had given its report six-seven months back and the bill is now to be passed in the Upper House.

"We would like the bill to come to Lok Sabha soon after being passed in Rajya Sabha otherwise the bill will lapse...In the last session also, we demanded that the Lokpal bill should be passed by both Houses of Parliament... We will press for the passage of bill but it seems the government is not sincere to pass it," Acharia said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government has listed the Lokpal bill in Rajya Sabha and has already put it in the agenda of business as it wants the bill to be passed.

He at the same time added that it can be done only if the House runs and "only government cannot do it. Entire Parliament has to pass it."