Cabinet approves office of profit committee proposal

New Delhi, Sep 29 (UNI) The Cabinet today gave ex post facto approval to the proposal for setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the office of profit issue and suggest a comprehensive legislation.

Parliament has already approved the setting up of the JPC to draft the necessary legislation on the lines of the recommendations made by President A P J Abdul Kalam while refusing his assent to the Parliament Prevention of Disqualification (Amendement) Bill, 2006.

Dr Kalam, however, gave his assent subsequently when the two Houses of Parliament approved the same Bill, which had sought to exempt 56 offices from the purview of disqualification, once again and sent it back to the President.

The President had suggested drawing up of uniform guidelines which would be applicable across the country, instead of resorting to frequent amendments to the Act to exempt specific offices.

The Cabinet also gave ex post facto approval for two amendments, moved in Parliament, to the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act.

In both the cases, the Prime Minister's approval had been obtained before moving the relevant papers in Parliament.

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