Lokpal panel meets in last-ditch bid to break deadlock

The joint drafting committee for the Lokpal bill is closeted today in what is considered the last round of discussion between the government and 'civil society' teams amid a hardening stand by the government against bringing the prime minister under the ambit of the anti-corruption legislation.

Missing from today's meeting was retired judge and Karnataka lok ayukta Santosh Hegde, part of crusader Anna Hazare's civil team. He said he had a prior appointment, and would be in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Today's meeting of the other nine members of the drafting committee at finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's office in North Block is seen as crucial.

The meeting comes amid strident exchanges of words between the two sides over the last week, with the government making it clear that it is opposed to bringing the prime minister or the judiciary, or MPs' conduct inside Parliament, under the bill. The civil society side led by Anna Hazare, however, wants these under the anti-corruption ombudsman.

"We will try to settle the issues as far as possible. There are six issues on which we have differences of opinion," Hegde said told sections of the media outside the meeting.

During the last meeting of the committee on 15 June, government nominees had asked the civil society members to present their draft while they would present theirs, as there was no forward movement on a consensus. This may result in the unedifying spectacle of two separate bills being presented to Parliament.