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| LS approves motion to set up JPC on office of profit | | |
NEW DELHI, AUG 17 :
Lok Sabha today approved a motion to set up a 15-member Joint Parliamentary Committee for suggesting a comprehensive definition of office of profit, a move seen as an attempt to address concerns expressed by President A P J Abdul Kalam before whom a bill in this regard is still pending for assent.
The Joint Committee, comprising 10 members from the Lok Sabha to be nominated by the Speaker and five from Rajya Sabha to be named by the Chairman, will examine the constitutional and legal positions relating to Office of Profit.
The motion was approved amidst uproar from members of the Opposition and the CPI over the hurry with which it was tabled for approval. The BJP-led Opposition members later walked out in protest.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi defended the move saying the government was only fulfilling a commitment made in Parliament while passing the Prevention of Disqualification of MPs Bill.
The Bill, which was originally passed in May at the height of controversy over disqualification, was refused assent by President A P J Abdul Kalam who asked Parliament to reconsider it suggesting a comprehensive and generic definition of the office of profit and its applicability throuhghout the country.
Earlier this month, Parliament adopted the Bill without making any change and sent it again to the President for approval. With the President yet to give assent, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the President on Tuesday and is understood to have urged him for early assent to the Bill.
Moving the motion, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj said the terms of reference of the Committee would be to also examine the feasibility of adoption of system of law relating to prevention of disqualification of MPs as existing in the UK and considered by the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976.
The Committee will suggest a comprehensive definition of OoP while examining it in the context of settled intrepretation of this expression under Article 102 of the Constitution.
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