The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi awaits Central approval to Bill on office of profit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 14, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi awaits Central approval to Bill on office of profit

Staff Reporter

Fate of 19 Congress MLAs hangs in balance

NEW DELHI: Even as the controversy surrounding the office-of-profit issue continues to give sleepless nights to the 19 Congress legislators of Delhi, the Delhi Government is understood to have sent the relevant Bill for approval to the Union Government before it is introduced and passed during the special Delhi Assembly session convened for May 18.

Highly placed sources informed that the Cabinet had discussed the Bill in detail and after making necessary corrections sent it to the Union Government for approval. The Delhi Government appears to be in a great rush to get the Bill through and ensure that amendments are notified before May 22, the date when the MLAs concerned have to file their replies to the Election Commission of India.

The Bill had come up for discussion during the Cabinet meeting last week but the Ministers pointed out several anomalies in it. It was then decided that the authorities should seek the draft of the amendments proposed to be carried out by the Central Government to prevent the disqualification of a large number Members of Parliament.

It is learnt that after incorporating the amendments suggested in the Central legislation, the Delhi Government sent the Bill for the approval of the Union Government. It is expected that the Bill will be returned early next week after formal approval paving the way for its introduction during the May 18 session of Delhi Assembly.

Although both the Delhi Government and the Assembly Secretariat are silent on the agenda for the one-day session, it is clear that the session had been convened to prevent the disqualification of 19 Congress MLAs as such a scenario would reduce the Sheila Dikshit Government into a minority set-up. However, it is still not clear whether the proposed Bill would cover the office of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister, Nasib Singh, as no such provision exists in the Constitution. It is understood that legal opinion is that in case of Mr. Singh the Union Government should carry out the relevant amendments that would have to be passed by the Delhi Government for making this office legal.

Interestingly, the Himachal High Court had ordered the removal of 12 Parliamentary Secretaries from office terming the posts as unconstitutional. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court as well as the EC. Prominent among the MLAs who have been named in the disqualification petition include the Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister Nasib Singh; Trans-Yamuna Board chairman Narendra Nath; vice-chairperson of Delhi Jal Board and chairperson Central Zone District Development Committee Anjali Rai; Delhi Wakf Board chairman Mateen Ahmed; and former Rural Development Board chairman and sitting Lok Sabha MP Sajjan Kumar.

The nine DDC chairmen include Rajesh Jain, Brahmpal, Ashok Ahuja, Kanwar Karan Singh, Balram Singh Tanwar, Rajesh Lilothia, Vijay Lochav, Vir Singh Dhingan and Anjali Rai. The petition also names MLAs who held these positions in 2004 including Mahabal Mishra, Bhisham Sharma, Kiran Walia, Bijender Singh, Amrish Gautam, Prahalad Singh Sawhney and Tajdar Babar.

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