The Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, will shortly sound leaders of various parties in a bid to get the Bill to abolish privy purses passed in the monsoon session of Parliament. The Constitution Amendment Bill for the abolition of privy purses has already been introduced in Parliament during the budget session. Mrs. Gandhi has already held preliminary talks with officials of the Law and Home Ministries on the question of payment of compensation to the princes. Now that Mrs. Gandhi has taken charge of the Home portfolio, she has taken up this item for discussion to get herself fully acquainted with the problem. While the Prime Minister is confident that she would secure the support of all parties for this move, she is still considering a suggestion for holding talks with the former rulers. No specific formula for compensation has yet been finalised but the rulers themselves are veering round to the view that it would be more acceptable to them if instead of abrogating the covenants under which privy purses have been granted, new agreements are entered into with them individually under which transitional payments and concessions are conferred on them.
