Both sides are reluctant to budge on contentious issues Reluctant to budge from their views, the government representatives and civil society members of the Joint Drafting Committee on the Lokpal Bill decided on Monday to leave the differences to be resolved at the next stage of wider consultations with political parties. The government has decided to call an all-party meeting in July to elicit their opinion on the draft Bill and...

-The Telegraph   The Lokpal bill committee’s penultimate meeting ended today with a conflicting picture as the government’s representatives claimed agreement on “80 per cent” of the points while the Anna Hazare group suggested it was just over a quarter. “Today’s was the most successful of the panel’s meetings thus far. We achieved a lot,” said human resource development minister Kapil Sibal, adding there was consensus on 80 to 85 per cent...

-The Hindu   Union Minister of State for Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said environmental clearance to a project should not be construed as a licence for forceful eviction of people. Asked about the resistance to land acquisition for the Posco steel project in Orissa, Mr. Ramesh said acquisition should not be coercive. He hoped the Orissa government would exhibit sensitivity in dealing with the agitators and resolve the issue...

-The Telegraph   Sonia Gandhi today sent a terse reply to Anna Hazare’s complaints about a “conspiracy” to defame him, the response setting the tone before a last-ditch bid to resolve differences on the Lokpal bill. The Congress chief’s reply to a letter from the Gandhian came a day ahead of a scheduled meeting of the joint committee of government representatives and social activists set up to draft the proposed anti-corruption law. Sonia’s...

-The Business Standard   The rural development ministry is unlikely to accept a proposal by the National Advisory Council (NAC) for a single Bill on land acquisition and relief and rehabilitation. At present, there are two bills — the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2009, and Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2009 — for the two processes. Officials say the government is committed to bringing in a legislation governing land acquisition in the monsoon...