Govt agrees to joint panel, says no to Hazare as chairman

On the third day of Anna's hunger fast, the government reached out first with an offer to set up an informal group, including activists and ministers, to draft the Lokpal Bill, and then, when the activists rejected that offer, agreed to set up a joint committee. Although the differences remained over formal notification of a joint committee and on who would chair the committee. Hazare's supporters also want Hazare to head this panel that will redraft the present Lokpal Bill but the government wants Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to be its head. The minister said they would meet again on Friday.