UP move to save Amar Singh's RS membership

Lucknow, Mar 28: In yet another effort to save the Rajya Sabha membership of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh, Uttar Pradesh governemnt today (Mar 28, 2006) tabled a bill in the assembly turning UP Development Council into an autonomous body with powers like local authority.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohd Azam Khan piloted the bill in the house. When passed and approved by the UP Governor, it would be implemented with retrospective effect from October 15, 2003.

The state government had passed a bill early this month exempting 79 posts of chairpersons of various councils, boards and corporations in UP as posts of profit.

At present, UPDC, chaired by Amar Singh, was registered under the Society Act on October 15, 2003.

UPDC Bill 2006 has all the provisions of an authority with wide powers viz it can summon any government file and recommend its suggestion for implementation.

The chairman of the new council would be appointed by the state government for a term of five years. Altogether 11 persons from the department would be its members, while the chief secretary would be its convenor.

According to the bill, motive behind conversion was to give more powers to the council for faster development of the state.

It said the present council was formed on October 15, 2003 and till date, it had attracted investment worth more than Rs 33,000 crore in the state.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed the bill was tabled only to save the RS membership of Amar Singh.

The Election Commission was considering his disqualification from the RS for holding post of profit as UPDC chairman.

Earlier, President A P J Abdul Kalam had disqualified cinestar Jaya Bachchan from the RS for holding post of chairperson of UP Film Development Council -- termed as post of profit.

Last week, Congress President Sonia Gandhi also resigned from her Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and National Advisory Council chairperson post over the controversy.

UNI