CPS appointments not illegal: Parliament panel

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, June 25

The Joint Parliament Committee of the Lok Sabha today said the appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) in the state could not be termed illegal if there was an enactment passed by the Assembly in this regard.

The Joint Parliament Committee of Parliament, headed by PP Chaudhary, MP from the Pali Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan, who is currently visiting the state. “Though the appointment of MLAs as CPS does fall in our ambit, but yes we are looking into the issue of MPs being appointed to boards and corporations by state governments which could make it an office of profit,” remarked Chaudhary.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said Himachal had enacted a law where the MLAs could be appointed as CPS and Parliamentary Secretaries. “The plea, filed by the BJP before the Chief Election Commissioner, for disqualifying the Himachal MLAs who were CPS had been rejected in 2005,” he said.

“In case Himachal has a legislation then the appointment of CPS here cannot be considered as office of profit,” he said. He said the committee, which has a term of five years, was looking into the various department and public sector undertakings of the Centre to see if any MP has been given any office of profit.

Following the controversy over the appointment of AAP legislators in Delhi as CPS, the issue has once again been raked up in Himachal also. An RTI activist has sent a complaint to the Election Commission of India seeking the disqualification of the nine CPS.