Govt not to call Par. session on Office of Profit bill

New Delhi, June 2: The government today decided not to hold a special session of Parliament to discuss the Office of Profit Bill, but to take up the matter in the Monsoon session of Parliament to be held in the last week of July.

''Since the President has sent back the bill for the reconsideration by Parliament under Article 111 of the Constitution, we need to call a Parliament Session. The bill will be deliberated in the Monsoon session of Parliament. As of now there is no thinking or plan to advance the Monsoon session of Parliament which is generally held in last week of July,'' Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here.

Ruling out the possibility of bringing an ordinance on the issue of Office of Profit, Mr Dasmunsi said since the President has returned the bill under Article 111 it has to be reconsidered by Parliament so there was no possibility of issuing an ordinance on the matter.

Asked what would the government do if the Election Commission goes on the fast track to disqualify the MPs against whom complaints are pending before it, the Minister quipped, ''What is fast track or slow track. It happens only on airport?'' However, he refused to comment on the Election Commission's move on the issue saying that it was a Constitutional body and he was not authorised to say what action it would take.

The President had returned the bill on May 30 seeking its reconsideration by Parliament as he reportedly had some reservation about its implementation from retrospective effect. The President also reportedly was in favour of similar organisations in various states getting same treatment under the bill.

The bill, which was passed by Parliament on May 23, had exempted 56 offices held by various MPs as not being Office of Profit. These included the National Advisory Council Chairperson's post previously held by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

UNI