The government on Tuesday moved the chair in both houses of parliament to have three additional sittings, from December 27 to 29, instead of concluding the winter session on Thursday to ensure passage of the Lokpal bill after proper discussion.

An additional sitting on December 23 was also proposed but it was not acceptable to the Christian members as they want to reach home to attend the ceremonial mass on the eve of the X'mas. As such, there will be a 4-day break from December 23 to 26. The Opposition wants the Bill tabled before the break to give them time to study.

Three days will be utilised to take up the Lokpal bill and the Whistleblowers' Protection bill together, junior parliamentary affairs minister Harish Rawat said, after his senior Pawan Kumar Bansal secured consent of the Opposition leaders for extending the session.

The new Lokpal Bill, readied by a group of ministers, is yet to get the Union Cabinet's nod that is expected in its meeting rescheduled Tuesday night. As such the Opposition leaders were consulted if they were prepard to sit up to 11 PM to pass it in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday if the Bill is introduced on Wednesday and taken up for discussion immediately.

Bansal said the session was being extended to allow for a proper discussion as the Opposition was not agreeable to passing these bills in a hurry without studying them as immediate discussion after its introduction was not acceptable to them.

While the Lokpal and Whistleblower Bills may be discussed together, the government will also push for a separate discussion on the judicial accountability bill for curbing corruption in higher judiciary of the Supreme Court and the High Courts.

The BJP leaders said the government had not yet unveiled the Lokpal Bill and as such the Opposition can not be taken for granted to agree on whatever Bill it brings before Parliament. "We need time to study it and move necessary amendments as it is no ordinary legislation and is bound to have long-time repurcusions," a senior leader said.