PM Regrets That RS Did Not Pass Lokpal Bill

New Delhi, Dec 31: Amid a war of words between government and Opposition, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said it was “unfortunate” that the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill could not be passed by the Rajya Sabha and asserted that the government was committed to an effective anti-corruption law. Wishing to put behind a “very difficult” year, Singh acknowledged that the concern about corruption has moved to the centre stage and vowed to personally work to provide an “honest and more efficient government”. “New institutions such as Lokpal and Lokayuktas are an important part of the solution and we have initiated the process for establishing them.” Underlining that Lokpal and Lokayuktas were “only one part of the solution”, the Prime Minister said, “we also need reforms in systems of governance which would increase transparency and minimise discretion so that the scope of misgovernance is reduced.” Singh said, “The year that has just ended was a very difficult year for the world” and in this regard cited the economic crisis, socio economic tensions, “political upheavals in many developing countries” and “a revolution of rising expectations fostered by the extraordinary reach of the electronic media and the connectivity provided by new social networking platforms.” These issues kept governments around the world “on their toes”, he said, adding that “we in India have had our share of problems.” Talking in the context of India specifically, Singh said the economy slowed down, inflation edged up and “concern about corruption moved to the centre stage”. “I want to assure you all on this New Year's day that I personally will work to provide an honest and more efficient government, a more productive, competitive and robust economy and a more equitable and just social and political order.” Singh, who was one of the architects of liberalisation initiated in 1991, said that process was aimed at freeing the citizens from the “dead weight” of bureaucracy and corruption.