Lokpal Bill to be taken up in Rajya Sabha on Monday

The Lokpal bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on Monday, the government today said asserting that the passage of the bill is its "heartfelt desire".
"Monday is decided as the day for it in Rajya Sabha... It is our heartfelt desire that the Lokpal is passed. That we have enlisted it in this session for passage is a clear indication of this," Union minister Harish Rawat told reporters replying to a question at a Congress briefing in Parliament House.
Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government will list the measure in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow as a "priority".

Tomorrow being reserved for private members business, the bill will now be taken on Monday and six hours time has been alloted for it, Parliament sources said.
Congress also rejected BJP leader Arun Jaitley's allegation that the UPA government was not keen on passage of key bills including Lokpal.
"Some friends, who are important leaders in their party, have tried to create this impression that the government is not interested in pushing the legislative business... I strongly refute it. Facts tell us otherwise. We are not getting the support, we should have got...

"Both the ruling and the Opposition party together have a big role to play in creating a (working) atmosphere in Parliament. They are trying to project that the ruling party alone has the responsibility," he said.

The government is under pressure from anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare who started an indefinite hunger strike three days ago to press for early passage of the Lokpal Bill.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj accused the government of trying to cut short the session, thereby stalling the anti-graft bill and said her party is keen that it is taken up without delay.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party made it clear that it will oppose the Bill in the Rajya Sabha while the JD(U) and NCP supported its early passage.