Strong Lokpal on agenda,PM tells Anna Hazare

In a letter to Anna,Manmohan Singh says govt is working on a broad agenda to fight corruption.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told activist Anna Hazare that his government is committed to a strong Lokpal as part of a broad agenda of administrative reforms. Hazares demand for a right to reject an election candidate would,however,need a political consensus,the PM has written to the activist.

As you are aware,we are committed to enacting a strong Lokpal law and we hope that we will succeed in this in the near future. However,our government is working on a broad agenda to fight corruption and bring in administrative reforms, Singh wrote in the letter sent to Hazare on Monday.

The PM and Hazare have exchanged four letters in less than a month,though senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has been taking potshots at Team Anna,even claiming that the BJP wants to field Hazare for the Presidents post.

Responding to Hazares letter of September 21 in which he had flagged several issues including Lokpal,electoral reforms and strengthening of grassroots institutions such as panchayats,the PM assured him that the government was working on a comprehensive agenda to fight corruption,of which the Lokpal was a part.

In this several legal,administrative and technical aspects will be included. Establishment of the Lokpal is part of this broad agenda, Singh said.

To Hazares demand for a right to reject candidates through the option of none of the above in the voting system,Singh said,Our government is actively considering various proposals related to electoral reforms. Among the proposals being considered is the right to reject which you have mentioned. In a democratic society,a political consensus is necessary on some issues. We want to discuss several proposals on electoral reforms with all political parties and act on proposals on which there is a broad agreement.

Singh had earlier written to Hazare on October 7,in response to the activists demand raised in his September 23 letter that the PM write to chief ministers of all Congress-ruled states to enact an ombudsman law.

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There was in-principle agreement in Parliament on August 27 on the establishment of Lokayuktas in states,Singh told Hazare. This consensus in Parliament has also been sent to the Standing Committee so that it can consider it during their deliberations. I hope you will agree with me that before going ahead we should first let Parliament complete the process of enacting a Lokpal law.