Centre determined to bring strong Lokpal: Pawan Kumar Bansal

New Delhi, May 23 (ANI): Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday said the Centre is determined to bring a strong and effective Lokpal Bill.

Addressing a news conference here after the conclusion of Budget Session of Parliament, Bansal said the government will pass the Bill after achieving a political consensus, and maintained that the government tried its best to pass the Bill "in its present form" in December last year itself.

"The government is determined to pass a strong and effective Lokpal Bill but it will be passed only after the nod of all the parties. A government would not like to send a bill to the Select Committee. We tried our best to get the bill passed in its present form by December itself and we will continue with our efforts," he said.

Referring to Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee's absence from the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to celebrate the third anniversary of the UPA-II Government, Bansal maintained that the government's relation with its allies is cordial.

"We have the full support of Mamata Banerjee and will remain so. We have always taken the support of our ally partners and all her ministers were present there. She could not come for the dinner party but if she would have been present then she would have sat at the centrestage," Bansal remarked.

The Lokpal Bill, which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, was sent to a Select Committee for further deliberation after a heated debate between the treasury and opposition benches. (ANI)