Rajya Sabha to take up Lokpal bill tomorrow

The Lokpal bill will come up in Rajya Sabha on Friday and is a “priority” for the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said on Wednesday.

“Our priority is Lokpal bill. The Lokpal bill has to be taken up in Rajya Sabha, and then it will come up in Lok Sabha,” he said, adding the government will list the measure in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

He also dismissed suggestions that there was any plan to curtail the Winter Session of Parliament.

Asked about reports that the government is considering adjourning Parliament sine die by Friday, he said, “There is no plan at the moment to curtail the session. We have allocated time for other businesses and we have a list of priorities.”

He said the government also has to secure the passage of the supplementary demands for grants of the Finance and Railway Ministries.

The Winter Session, which started on December 5, 2013 is scheduled to end on December 20, 2013.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj accused the government of trying to cut short the session, thereby stalling the anti-graft bill and said her party is keen that it is taken up without delay.

Earlier, the Samajwadi Party made it clear that it will oppose the bill in the Rajya Sabha while the JD(U) and the NCP supported its early passage.