Govt clears 3 bills to counter Team Anna, Opposition

Mangalore Today / NDTV

New Delhi, Dec 13: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared three major anti-corruption bills – Citizen’s Charter Bill, Judicial Accountability Bill and the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill (Whistleblower’s Bill) – in a crucial meeting.

 

The Cabinet, however, met amid reports of clearing four crucial bills, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s favourite, the National Food Security Bill.

However, a decision on the Food Security Bill was deferred to next week as it required more discussion, sources said.


The dual objective of the Cabinet meet was to blunt Team Anna’s anti-corruption campaign and counter the Opposition’s charge of policy paralysis and inertia in the government.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Congress core group met ahead of the all-important Cabinet meet. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and other senior Cabinet ministers belonging to the Congress discussed the details on the thee anti-corruption bills and Food Security Bill.

There has been sharp division within the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on the Food Security Bill, which will set the Centre back by Rs 1 lakh crore annually. Several ministers have pointed out that doling out food subsidy at a time when the economy is already in doldrums may not be a wise economic move.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia have objected to the bill in a Cabinet note.

However, Team Anna has already criticised the government’s decision to keep the Citizens Charter outside the Lokpal.