Nagpur, Oct 8: Law Minister Salman Khurshid today said the demand by anti-corruption crusade Anna Hazare for incorporating a Right To Recall non-performing elected representatives was “impractical” because already there is poor turnout of voters in many constituencies during polls.
Speaking at a meet-the-press programme here, Khurshid said the demand is “impractical” since elections are facing poor voter turnout and government machinery comes to a standstill once the code of conduct comes into force.
Khurshid said the UPA government had enacted the Right to Information Act (RTI) to empower citizens, but courts have raised objections on certain aspects of the landmark law. “Many judges complain to me about the demerits of RTI. We have brought it, but we were not aware that it will be used to attack us,” Khurshid said.
On RSS' assertion about its participation in Hazare's anti-graft agitation in Delhi in August, Khurshid said it was Team Anna's turn to clarify on the claim made by the city-based Sangh fountainhead which has been dismissed by Hazare. He said, government is committed to bring he Lokpal Bill in the winter session of Parliament.
“We are committed to bring the Bill during the winter as per our understanding reached with Team Anna on three important aspects - citizens' charter, bringing lower bureaucracy under the ambit of the bill and appointment of Lokayuktas in states on the lines of Lokpal at the Centre,” he said.
The government is keen to bring a comprehensive bill to cover civil society groups receiving government funding and also private-public partnership ventures, he said.
