Punjab cabinet okays new Bill on office of profit for MLAs

Chandigarh, Aug 21: The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday paved the way for enactment of a law to enable MLAs to hold several new categories of the offices of profit.

"The Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 will be tabled in the forthcoming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha following the Cabinet nod to it," said an official spokesperson.

The state Cabinet met today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

As per the proposed amendments in the Bill, various categories of the offices of profit would be added to the current list of positions/ offices which the MLAs can hold without inviting disqualification, the spokesperson added.

The amendments are aimed at addressing the complexities of the modern day governance and include incorporation of a new Section 1A to provide for the definitions of the terms "compensatory allowance", "statutory body" and "non-statutory body", he said.

As per Section 1A, the "compensatory allowance" would mean any sum of money payable to the holder of an office by way of daily allowance, conveyance allowance, house-rent allowance or the travelling allowance for reimbursing his expenditures in performing the functions of that office.

"Insertions and additions have also been made to the categories of the offices of profit under Section 2 of the said Act under the Bill," the spokesperson said.

The Section 2 of the Act includes any office held by a minister (including the chief minister), minister of state or deputy minister or the offices of chairman, vice chairman, deputy chairman, state planning board or those of the leaders and deputy leaders of a recognised party or a recognised group in the Vidhan Sabha.

The offices of the chief whips, deputy chief whips or whips of various legislature parties in the assembly too have been included in the Section 2 of the Act.

The Bill amends Section 2 to include the offices of chairman or members of a committee, set up temporarily for the purpose of advising the government or any authority on a matter of public importance or for making an inquiry if the holder of such office is not entitled to any remuneration other than the compensatory allowance.

This also include the offices of chairmen, directors or members of any statutory or non-statutory body, if the holders of such offices are not entitled to any remuneration other than the compensatory allowance, it said.

PTI