Lokpal Bill to be introduced on Thursday

The government will introduce the Lokpal Bill in Parliament on Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said on Tuesday.

As all the parties wanted the Bill introduced at the earliest, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy had written to Speaker Meira Kumar, requesting that she waive the two-day period for members to prepare.

At the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month, parties urged the government to introduce the Bill through the normal process of the Cabinet clearing it. They also said the Bill could be referred to a parliamentary committee to scrutinise it.