New Delhi, May 15
The bill seeking to exempt chairperson of the National Advisory Council and 45 other posts from the purview of the “office of profit” is expected to be introduced tomorrow.
The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006 seeks to provide immunity to Congress president Sonia Gandhi with retrospective effect as she had resigned from the post in the wake of complaints against her being forwarded to the Election Commission by the President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
The Bill aims to provide immunity with effect from May 31, 2004 when it was formed by an order issued by the Cabinet Secretariat.
It also seeks to provide immunity to 45 other posts with effect from April 4, 1959. Most of the posts relate to those held by Left leaders including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. It also includes the post held by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.
The poll panel had earlier disqualified Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan from the Rajya Sabha for holding “office of profit,” and the Supreme Court vindicated this decision.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill said recently it has become necessary to revisit the issue of disqualification of MPs on the basis of holding an office of profit.
Approximately 40 or more members from both Houses are holding offices of Chairmen or members of various statutory and non-statutory bodies and are facing disqualification proceedings on the ground that they are holding an office of profit.
“If this state of affairs is
allowed to continue then there is bound to be large-scale litigation and the likely vacation of seats in both Houses of Parliament, which will necessitate the holding of bye-elections to fill up resultant vacancies. This will be a wasteful expenditure and will enforce unnecessary
financial burden on the nation,” the statement said.
The posts, which the bill seeks to exempt, are:
Tripura Khadi and Villages Industries Board
Uttar Pradesh Development Council
Irrigation and Flood Control Commission, UP
Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta
West Bengal Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd
West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd
West Bengal Industries Development Corporation Ltd
Sriniketan Santiniketan Development Authority
Haldia Development Authority
West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation
Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners
Board of Wakf, West Bengal
West Bengal Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd
West Bengal State Haj Committee
Asansol Durgapur Development Authority, West Bengal
West Bengal Pharmaceutical and Phytochemical Development Corporation Ltd
West Bengal Powerloom and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd
West Bengal Khadi and Village Industry Board
Society for Self Employment for Urban Youth, West Bengal
Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams Board
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd
Indian Farmer Ferlizers Cooperative Ltd
Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd
National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India Ltd
Auroville Foundation
National Commission of Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector
Planning Board (Asiatic Society)
Delhi Rural Development Board
Maulana Azad Education Foundation
Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts
Dr Ambedkar Foundation
Bihar State Religious Trust Board
Research and Information System for the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries
Indian Institute of Psychemetry
Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Bank
Uttar Pradesh Provincial Cooperative Federation
Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Foundation Ltd
National Cooperative Union of India
Uttar Pradesh Krishi and Gram Vikas Bank
Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Bank Ltd
Indian Council for Cultural Relations
Board of Control - A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna
All India Council for Sports
Howrah Improvement Trust
