LS approves JPC proposal on OoP

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) The UPA government, which is still awaiting Presidential assent for the office of profit Bill, today had a motion adopted in the Lok Sabha, amid an NDA walkout, for setting up a 15-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to have the existing law reviewed comprehensively.

The opposition walked out in protest against the manner in which Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj left the House without giving clarifications sought by members.

The JPC, which would have 10 MPs from the Lok Sabha and five from the Rajya Sabha, would submit its report before the end of the winter session of Parliament around Christmas.

The motion would now go to the Rajya Sabha for its approval even as President A P J Abdul Kalam is yet to take a decision on the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, passed for the second time by the two Houses in the last week of July and sent back on August 1 for Presidential approval.

Dr Kalam had returned the Bill to the government to have it reconsidered by Parliament in the light of his suggestions for comprehensive law, instead of exempting 56 offices held by about 40 MPs against whom disqualification petitions were already pending.

The JPC will examine, in the context of settled interpretation of the expression 'Office of Profit' in Article 102 of the Constitution and the underlying constitutional principles therein, and to suggest a comprehensive definition of Office of Profit.

It will recommend, in relation to Office of Profit, the evaluation of generic and comprehensive criteria which are just, fair and reasonable and can be applied to all states and union territories.

It will also examine the feasibility of adoption of system of law relating to prevention of disqualification of Members of Parliament as existing in the United Kingdom and considered by the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, and any other matter incidental to these.

BJP Deputy Leader V K Malhotra, before leading the walk-out, said it was unprecedented that the JPC had been set up without its chairperson being named.

He protested the manner in which the Law Minister left immediately after reading out the motion without waiting for asking of clarifications from the members.

''If this is the way the government wants to run the House, we walk out in protest,'' he said and led the NDA members out.

Mr Vikhe Patil, who was in the Chair, said there cannot be any discussion on the motion under the rules.

Intervening on behalf of Mr Bhardwaj, who had left after reading his statement, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said during the debate on the Office of Profit issue earlier, the government had given a solemn assurance to set up a JPC, and it had now complied with it.

Mr Bhardwaj said in order to constitute...Editors: Pl pick up from para one of PAR42, POLITICS-OOP-LEAD JPC TWO LS.

UNI YJ SN MSJ DB1934