The Hindu : National : It is not an office of profit, says Congress

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Thursday, Mar 23, 2006

National

National

It is not an office of profit, says Congress

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday emphasised that the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by party president Sonia Gandhi, was a "purely advisory body'' and its suggestions were "recommendatory'' in nature.

Responding to news reports that the body was an "office of profit,'' the party said that the NAC did not exercise any executive, legislative or judicial powers. It did not have any powers for the allocation/distribution of funds, allotment of lands, issue of licences, making of appointments, etc., party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

Sonia's responsibility

He said the NAC advised the Government on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), which was the basic agenda of the United Progressive Alliance Government, and as its Chairperson of the UPA Coordination Committee, Ms. Gandhi had direct and important responsibility vis-à-vis the CMP.

"The Government of India takes its own decisions on the merits/demerits of the recommendations of the NAC. While the Government of India has accepted/initiated action on some recommendations, it has not agreed to some others. Thus, the suggestions made by the NAC are purely recommendatory in nature,'' he said in a statement.

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