New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today (Dec 7, 2004) said the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government would soon enact a model law to deal with communal violence and a commission to look into Centre-State relations.

"Government will soon enact a model comprehensive law to deal with communal violence, provide for uniform compensation for loss of lives, honour and property and for expeditious investigations," Gandhi said addressing the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) in New Delhi.

She told the party members of the two Houses that the Government was also establishing an Administrative Reforms Commission and a new Commission to look into Centre-State relations comprehensively.

Besides, she said that important laws were being amended to ensure equality for women.

Gandhi said though it is a short session but a number of Bills are being introduced in keeping with the commitments "we have made in our manifesto and in the Common Minimum Programme".

Stating that the draconian POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) law has been repealed in the Lok Sabha yesterday, she said a Bill on the national rural employment guarantee act, which was first promised at the Congress Chief Ministers' conclave in Guwahati in April 2002, is likely to be introduced soon.

The Bill to establish a National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions to provide for direct affiliation to Central Universities would also be tabled shortly, she said.

The Government was also committed to amend the Right to Information Act so as to increase transparency and empower panchayat institutions in particular.

She also apprised the members about the expansion of Rural Credit system, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the mid-day meal programme, expanded food-for-work programme in 150 of the poorest districts of the country and National Commission on the Unorganised sector to deal with the social security.

A separate Department of Ex-Servicenmen's Welfare has been set up to plan and implement new schemes for the well being of valiant jawans and their family members.

Defence modernisation, badly neglected during the past six years, has been taken up in right earnest, she said adding that National Minorities Commission was being given Constitutional status to make it a more effective body.