The Hindu : New Delhi News : Opposition set to corner Govt. on `office of profit'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 18, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Opposition set to corner Govt. on `office of profit'

Staff Reporter

Delhi Govt. has convened a one-day session of the Assembly to save Congress MLAs from being disqualified over "office of profit"

NEW DELHI: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the Third Front MLAs led by NCP legislator Ramvir Singh Bidhuri will take on the ruling Congress during the one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly on Thursday not only over the issue of "offices of profit" but also on the water and power crises besides the ongoing demolitions and sealing in the Capital.

"It is unfortunate that the Delhi Government has decided to convene a one-day session of the Assembly to save its MLAs from being disqualified under the office of profit definition but did not feel the need to convene a session for the massive demolitions, sealing as well as power and water crises in the Capital," said the Leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Mukhi, on Wednesday.

Another BJP MLA and the person who triggered this present crisis, Vijay Jolly, said he strongly opposed the Government's move to save its MLAs as proceedings were still on in the Election Commission on the issue. Mr. Jolly also remarked that under Parliamentary procedure where elected representatives who stand accused or against whom proceedings are going on in the House and they stand affected by the decision, should not attend the proceedings of the House at that time. Mr. Jolly said the manner in which the whole issue is being handled and attempts to bail out the Government would not stand scrutiny of the law.

However, Mr. Bidhuri is also preparing to move major amendments to the Government's legislation seeking to bring under more Boards and Corporations under exemption from office of profit definition. However, Mr. Bidhuri said he was sore that the members were not circulated copies of the Bill in time making it difficult to move amendments. He said if the Government was proposing to save its 19 MLAs from disqualification by bringing into the ambit of non-disqualification offices like chairman of the Trans-Yamuna Development Board, chairpersons of District Development Committees and other such institutions then why Boards and Corporations like the Delhi Transport Corporation, Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board and other such office should not be exempted from office of profit definition so that they are occupied by the MLAs as was the practise in the past. "I will be moving amendments in this regard in the House for which I have already given notice," he remarked.

Mr. Bidhuri said that he would also demand that the Delhi Government should table in the House the Tejinder Khanna Committee report that had been submitted recently so that a detailed discussion is held on the issue. Apart from this, it is proposed to raise the issue of poor situation on the water and power fronts.

Mr. Mukhi said the private power distribution companies had failed to provide efficient services to the people of Delhi. However, there was no let up in inflated bills and fast running meters, issues that continue to haunt the consumers. Mr. Mukhi said during the past seven years the population of Delhi had increased by 27 lakhs but the Delhi Jal Board had failed to augment the water supply leaving the city and residents high and dry.

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