Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi, Jun 21: The Government on Monday June 20 claimed that nearly 85-90 percent of the issues regarding Lokpal had been sorted out at the meeting with the civil society led by Team Anna, however, the rift continues between the two parties on some of the major issues.

In fact, new issues have arised ahead of the crucial Tuesday meeting, and going by the current stand of the two parites, a consensus seems to be only a distant possibility.

Though there are two drafts of the Lokpal Bill, the government will send only one to the Cabinet.

The major issue dogging the two parties is over the Lokpal's powers over the Prime Minister. The Government has partly agreed to bring the PM under the Lokpal's ambit, but without giving it prosecution powers and insisting that investigations should be initiated only after the PM demits office.

The civil society wants to mend the conduct of the MPs during the Parliament session by bringing it under Lokpal, but the Government is dead against it.

While the civil society has demanded maximum life imprisonment for wrong-doers, the government insists that the term should not exceed 10 years.

Only the higher bureaucracy will be included in the Lokpal ambit, but Team Anna wants all bureaucrats to be under its purview.

Also, the civil society wants Lokpal to be given powers to prosecute, which the Government has rejected, and the power to tap phone lines, for which the Government has partly agreed by stating that permission has to be first sought from the home secretary.

The civil society wants the citizens to have the power to file complaints against the Lokpal in the Supreme Court, but the Government insists that only it can do so.

The government is also against Team Anna's stand that higher judiciary be brought under the purview of the Lokpal.

The Government has also said no to Team Anna's demand that the CBI, the CVC and the vigilance wing be merged with the Lokpal.