-The Pioneer The union cabinet is expected to meet here Sunday evening to discuss the Lokpal and the food security bills, said official sources. The cabinet meeting, earlier scheduled for Monday, would now be held Sunday evening, the sources said Saturday evening Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on his way back from Russia Saturday, said the government hopes to bring the Lokpal bill to the cabinet by Sunday. "We are working day and night...

-Express News Service   Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday said his party has told activist Anna Hazare’s camp that proper safeguards must be put in if the Prime Minister were to be brought under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal. Jaitley said the BJP has refused to accept Hazare camp’s demand to include the Prime Minister unconditionally, saying a lot of conditions and safeguards are required so that...

Besides taking into account the different viewpoints of parties on modalities of inclusion of the office of Prime Minister in the Lokpal Bill and the scope of the proposed ombudsman over the CBI and the CVC, the Union Cabinet would take into consideration the ‘sense of the House' resolution adopted by Parliament in August committing itself to three specific issues raised by social activist Anna Hazare. On August 27, Parliament urged...

-The Hindu   The Union Cabinet is likely to meet either on December 18 or 19 after the return of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from Russia to take a call on the contentious issues related to the Lokpal Bill on the basis of inputs given by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and the all-party meet on Wednesday night. According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, the government intends to move the Bill in...

Bills aimed at making judges, public utilities more accountable, and protecting whistleblowers The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared three crucial anti-graft Bills aimed at making judges and public utilities more accountable and protecting whistleblowers. The Bills come at a time when the government is being attacked by both the opposition and anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare​ and his team. Analysts are doubtful about the intentions of the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The...