Lokpal to come up in Budget Session of Parliament: Narayanasamy

The Government has agreed on most of the recommendations of a Parliamentary select committee on Lokpal Bill and the legislation is likely to come up in the Budget Session of Parliament, union minister V Narayanasamy said on Friday.

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office said that the amended Bill will first be approved in the Union cabinet following which it will be brought in Parliament.

"It is likely to come up in the Budget session of Parliament. Most of the select committee's view, we have agreed," Narayanasamy said on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi.

When asked to elaborate on the points on which the Government has disagreed with, the minister said they were "minor ones".

"First It will go to the cabinet. I cannot tell you anything more unless it is taken up in cabinet," Narayanasamy said declining to give any possible dates of a meeting of cabinet ministers on it.

The anti-corruption Lokpal Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha in 2011, faced opposition hurdle in the Rajya Sabha on various provisions, including the one making it mandatory for states to set up Lokayuktas.

In view of the sharp divide, the Bill was referred to the Select Committee. The Committee has tabled its recommendations in Rajya Sabha in November last year.

The Bill, along with the select committee's recommendations, will have to be considered by the Union cabinet. Once the Bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha, it will travel back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amended version.