Responding to a complaint by Common Cause, the Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that no meeting of the selection committee would take place next week to finalise the names for the Lokpal panel.
Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran gave this assurance before a Bench of Justices R.M. Lodha and M.Y. Eqbal, hearing a writ petition filed by the NGO challenging the Lokpal selection process.
Common Cause said there was the latest communication by Prime Minister Manmohan, head of the selection committee, on April 11 to all members, asking them to indicate their availability between April 24 and 28 so that a meeting could be held to appoint the chairperson and members of the Lokpal.
The NGO, in its petition, said the Solicitor General had made a categorical statement before the court that the government was not doing anything as far as the selection of the Lokpal and its members was concerned. In view of this statement, the court did not pass any interim order and posted further hearing to May 5.
Despite this assurance, the petition contended, the government was going ahead with the process of appointment.
