Special assembly session to take up Jan Lokpal bill at IG stadium

Delhi Cabinet today decided to call a special session of Assembly to take up the Jan Lokpal Bill that seeks to punish corrupt officials on February 16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium instead of historic Ramlila ground as announced by ruling AAP earlier.

Minister Manish Sisodia said a meeting of the cabinet has decided to call the assembly session from February 13 to 16 and the House will sit at the Indira Gandhi stadium on the last day of the session where public will also be invited to attend.

The Aam Aadmi Party government had earlier announced that it will convene a special session at Ramlila ground, the venue of Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement, to pass the much-talked about bill which was one of the main poll planks of the party.

Officials said the Cabinet decision on convening the assembly session will have to be cleared by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.

The Delhi Police had opposed government's proposal to convene the session at the Ramlila ground, citing security issues.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the cabinet discussed the draft of the Jan Lokapal Bill and a final decision on it would be taken on Monday.

It has also been learnt that government is mulling fixing six months as time limit to complete investigation in corruption cases.

The draft bill, prepared by a committee headed by the Chief Secretary, has kept the chief minister's office under the ambit of the Lokayukta.

Soon after assuming office in December, Kejriwal had said his government would pass the Jan Lokpal Bill from Ramlila ground by the first week of February.

A committee headed by the Chief Secretary and secretaries of Urban Development, Law and Finance departments, besides advocate Rahul Mehra was given the responsibility of drafting the Bill.