New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Sep 4, 2004) said the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government will soon promulgate an ordinance to repeal the draconian anti-terrorist law POTA (Prevention Of Terrorism Act) in consonance with its promise made in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP).

This move would expedite the exit of the much-criticised legislation, which would have died its natural death on October 31 this year.

Expressing regret that the Government could not bring a bill for the repeal of POTA during the Budget Session, the Prime Minister told a press conference "we will bring an ordinance to repeal POTA".

The Congress-led UPA Government, after failing to table the POTA repeal bill in Parliament due to continued disruption of the Houses by the Opposition, had made it clear that it would not wait for its lapse but would bring an ordinance soon.

The Home Ministry had prepared a draft of the ordinance in which certain legal provisions required to deal with various aspects of international terrorism were to be incorporated in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 through amendments.

The draft was cleared by the Law Ministry and sent back to the Home Ministry for preparing a note, which is likely to be presented before the Cabinet on Tuesday, official sources said.