Last ditch effort to save Jaya Bachchan's RS membership

Lucknow, Mar 8 (UNI) An a last ditch effort to save disqualification of its Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan and others of her ilk, the Uttar Pradesh government today moved a bill in the assembly to exempt heads of corporation, boards and councils as a post of profit.

The bill, if passed by the state legislature and approved by Governor T V Rajeshwar, would be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1, 2003.

With the bill, the charges against Jaya for holding a post of profit as chairperson of UP Film Development Council, would fall flat.

The Election Commission had already sought the President's view on disqualification of the membership of the cine star from the RS for holding the post of UP Film Development Council, termed as a post of profit.

Other prominent politicians who would also get reprive from the bill include Amar Singh (chairman, UP Development Council) Shivpal Singh Yadav (chairman, Mandi Parishad) Anuradha Choudhury (chairperson UP irrigation and Flood Control Commission) and Azam Khan (chairman, UP Jal Nigam).

EC had already been petitioned for disqualification of the membership of Amar Singh and Azam Khan for holding posts of profit.

BJP has already objected to the proposed amendment in the UP State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act 1971 to include all the 79 corporations, boards and council head under its porview.

State urban development minister and Jal Nigam chairman Azam Khan moved the amendment bill in the assembly amid noisy scenes created by BJP members.

The major amendment in the bill, was change of words from daily allowances to honorarium and adding 61 new corporations, boards and council in the list. Earlier, there were only 18 such boards, corporations and council of UP in the exemption list.

Earlier in the day, BJP member Laxmi Kant Vajpayee gave his dissent note in the Business Advisory committee meeting of the house against tabling of the bill.

After the passage of the bill, all heads of 79 corporations, boards and councils would be exempted from disqualification as members of the state legislature or any other house.

Under the Act, notified on July 17, 1971, it was declared that certain offices of profit under the government shall not disqualify the holders of being chosen as or for being member of the house.

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