Cabinet to consider Presidential objection tomorrow

New Delhi, May 31: The Union Cabinet will consider the objections raised by President A P J Abdul Kalam on the Office of Profit Bill tomorrow.

The meeting, will examine different options within the ambit of the Constitution to save the government from the embarrassment caused by the President returning the Parliament (Disqualification of Members) Amendment Bill for reconsideration.

The cabinet decision would be on the basis of a discussion Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to have with the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 1700 hrs today.

Law Ministry sources said a final decision on the issue would be taken by the cabinet.

The Prime Minister is expected to explain the situation that prompted the government to come out with the amendment bill seeking to exempt 56 offices of profit from the purview of disqualification from Parliament.

He would also explain why uniformity in the criteria for deciding offices of profit could not be ensured across all states and union territories.

While returning the bill, President Kalam asked the Parliament to look into the legal propriety of the legislation's applicability with retrospective effect. He said the Bill's focus should be on evolving a comprehenesive criterion which would be fair and reasonable and applied across all states and union territories in a clear and tansparent manner.

Under the Constitution, the government has to bring the bill afresh in Parliament for reconsideration.

According to Article 111 of the Constitution, once cleared by Parliament again, with or without amendments, the President has to give his assent to the Bill.

In all probability, the Bill will be reintroduced in the monsoon session of Parliament in July.

UNI