Jammu, Jan 29 : Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and activist Kiran Bedi has said that if the Lok Pal Bill is passed during the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament, it would usher in a new era in the country.

Responding to media reports that said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had written to anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare and assured him about the passage of the Lokpal Bill during the Budget Session of Parliament, Bedi said: "If this is true, then I am very happy. A new era will dawn upon this country if this bill, drafted by the select committee, is passed in the budget session."

The Lokpal Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2011, but it faced hurdles in the Rajya Sabha due to strong opposition from political parties, including some of the UPA constituents, on some measures.

The proposed Bill envisages the setting up of a national anti-corruption watchdog to check financial mismanagement and corrupt practices that have deeply pervaded several democratic and civic institutions of India. (ANI)