Lokpal Bill: NAC Vs Joint Committee

Mrs Sonia Gandhi's-headed National Advisory Council is regarded by its critics as the UPA's super cabinet that tries to determine its policy directions. Thus, it underlines two separate power centres. An Indian Express report (April 29) captioned: "NAC unveils a sweeping anti-corruption strategy", only confirms the critics' charge.

After the setting up of a joint committee of the UPA govt and Anna Hazare's civil society representatives, the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee who is chairman of the joint committee, assured the nation that the proposed Lokpal bill would be drafted with sincerity and alacrity to make it strong and elaborate. Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who chairs the UPA and the NAC, had declared that since the joint committee has undertaken the task of drafting the anti-corruption bill, the NAC would do nothing in this regard. Hence, the Indian Express report came like a bolt from the blue. If the NAC, according to its boss, Mrs Gandhi, was supposed to do nothing on the Lokpal bill, why this sudden announcement "unveiling a blueprint of a more comprehensive anti-corruption strategy?" Is some one playing a double game? Will Mrs Sonia Gandhi as the chairperson of both-the UPA and the NAC, clarify to the Indian people as to what was happening? Why this pre-emptive and duplicate effort of an anti-corruption road-map by the NAC that amounts to sabotaging the task of the joint committee comprising govt and civil society representatives? Does the NAC not trust Mr Pranab Mukherjee's committee?