More posts to be exempted from office of profit

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday decided to introduce a Bill in Parliament next week to take more posts out of the office of profit under which more than 40 Members of Parliament, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, are sought to have been disqualified under the Prevention of Disqualification of MPs Act, 1959.

 

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.
  
Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been authorised to hold talks with political parties, MPs and individuals to draw up a list of posts that would not attract disqualification as an MP.
  
Law Minister H R Bharadwaj will finalise the list of such offices in the light of the discussions.
  
There will not be any ''Constitutional amendment,'' the minister said.
  
The issue would not come up before the Cabinet again for approval of the list, which would be ''deemed to have been approved,'' Dasmunsi clarified.
  
On when the amendment Bill would be brought in, he said, ''possibly next week.'' The post-recess Budget session of Parliament begins on Wednesday.

 

The first part had been adjourned sine die abruptly in the thick of a controversy over the issue on which Congress President and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had quit as an MP from Rae Bareli and subsequently as NAC chairperson and other such posts.