Implement Lokpal Bill , AICC vice-present tells Cong-ruled states
New Delhi: Setting the agenda for fighting corruption by fast tracking the implementation of the Lokpal Bill, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Lokpal Bill needs to be implemented at state level as well.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting with senior Congress leaders and Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states to draw a strategy to tackle corruption and price rise, with an eye on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi said the Lokpal Bill needs to be implemented at state level.
“I want to take the stipulations in the national level Lokpal to the state level Lokpal as well,” he said at the press conference, also attended by AICC General Secretary Ajay Maken and chief ministers of 12 Congress-ruled states including Meghalaya.
The Congress vice-president said the meeting was held over two main issues – corruption and price rise.
“The party has discussed corruption, Lokpal and price rise during the meeting with the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states,” he said.
In this context, it was decided at the meeting that all the Congress-ruled states will enact new Lokayukta legislation as provided in The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 by February 28, 2014.
At the same time, he also urged the state Governments led by the Opposition also to enact a new Lokayukta legislation as provided in the The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.
“Its time to stop talking about it (Corruption) and start working on it. So there is a need for a framework to tackle corruption not just at the National level but also at the state level. The Congress is working in this direction,” Gandhi said.
Reiterating the need to set up a framework to tackle corruption, Gandhi called upon the Opposition to help secure the passage in Parliament of several Bills lined up in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that would enable setting up of the required framework.
“As I said before, if they are serious about it (tackling corruption), they should help us to pass several bills that have been lined up in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that would held setting up this framework. Please pass these Bills. Let us have a session of the House and get together and set up this framework,” he said.
Charging the Opposition of not being serious about tackling corruption, he said, “Unfortunately, there is just one party that talks about setting up a system and framework to tackle corruption.
“I see that there are many states governed by the Opposition that are without a Lokayukta. Also, the opposition should help passage of the Bills that will help set up a system to check corruption. But they will not do it. They tend to make long speeches on corruption. But when there is a question for setting up a framework there is not one word from them.”
Among other decisions taken at the meeting, it was decided that all Congress-ruled states will, by January 15, 2014, delist fruits and vegetables from their Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act so that the farmers have a choice of where to sell their produce and consumers will get the benefit of lower prices. (UNI)