on Lok Pal Bill here, the HRD Minister, Mr. Kapil Sibal said that there was an agreement on about 85 per cent clauses of the bill.
Describing today’s meeting as a major step forward, Mr. Sibal said that the areas of divergence and differences will be discussed in the all party meeting to be convened by the Prime Minister next month. He reiterated the government’s commitment to introduce a strong Lok Pal Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. Mr. Sibal said that the discussions took place in a non acrimonious manner and there was frank exchange of views between both the sides.
Earlier, the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi has said that the Lokpal Bill is very much a part of the agenda of the National Advisory Council. In a reply to social activist Anna Hazare’s letter to her, Mrs Gandhi said, she has already made her views clear in her earlier communications. Mrs. Gandhi said, she believes that there is an urgent necessity to combat graft and corruption. The UPA chairperson said that she strongly supports the institution of Lokpal that is consistent with the practices and conventions of the country’s parliamentary democracy.