Indian PM: fighting corruption on top of agenda

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday the task of ensuring transparency and evolving a mechanism to check corrupt practices has acquired urgency like never before, while promising to draft a new anti- graft bill as soon as possible. Speaking to the country's Central Bureau of Investigation, a primary probe agency, and state anti-corruption officials, the prime minister said the Lokpal anti-graft bill was at the top of his government's agenda. The Jan Lokpal Bill is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year. He said the government welcomes inputs from civil society and NGOs on how to fight corruption, including the country's Gandhian activist Anna Hazae, who staged a high profile protest against corruption in the Indian capital in August. "We are on cusp of far reaching changes in fighting corruption. The agitation launched by Anna Hazar has made fighting corruption top agenda. Lokpal is at the top of government's agenda," said Singh.