'Immediately Constitute A Jan Lokpal Bill Committee'

'Treat the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by India against Corruption as its working draft'

Anna Hazare

Updated on: 10 March 2011 12:00 am

India Against Corruption
A-119, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad – 201010.

Dated: 8th March, 2011

Dr Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister of India
New Delhi

Sub: Our discussions regarding the Jan Lokpal Bill

Dear Dr Singh,

We thank you for the courtesies extended to the team of “India against Corruption (IAC)” when we met you on your invitation for discussion on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

At a time when the whole country is bleeding due to corruption, we are concerned that you expressed inability to act against corruption till 13th May due to ongoing Parliamentary session and forthcoming assembly elections. You suggested that a “symbolic” meeting of a sub-committee of Group of Ministers could be held after 25th March with the representatives of IAC.

Rather than have this symbolic meeting, we feel that a genuine beginning could be made if the following steps were taken:

1. As written in my earlier letter to you, the government should immediately constitute a “Jan Lokpal Bill Committee (JLBC)” which should consist of five members of civil society (to be suggested by IAC) and an equal number of members from the government to draft a Lokpal Bill on behalf of the Government. The committee should be headed by a civil society representative.

2. The JLBC should treat the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by IAC as its working draft.

3. JLBC will submit its final report by 13th May 2011.

4. The report submitted by this committee should be treated as final and should not be subjected to scrutiny by yet another committee. Therefore, we request that such people from the government
should be included, who either have direct power to make decisions or would be in direct contact with key decision makers.

5. The government should introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill as prepared above in the monsoon session of Parliament, with a view to get it passed through both Houses of Parliament by the end of this year. This was promised by you in the meeting.

I am continuing with my decision to start my indefinite fast from 5th April, unless the Government demonstrates its genuine intentions to act against corruption by implementing the above steps.

Yours sincerely
(Anna Hazare)