Date:09/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/09/stories/2006110910690400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Governor's assent for office of profit Bill

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi has given his assent to the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2006 which excludes various offices from the purview of the office-of-profit clause.

With the Governor's assent, the ruling coalition partners can now set in motion the process of appointment of legislators or party workers to the government-owned boards and corporations. The BJP and Janata Dal (S) have decided to make appointments on a ratio of 50:50.

The ruling partners have to appoint heads to 102 boards and corporations, four commissions, 32 urban development authorities and members to various State and district-level committees (total 9,648).

Earlier, the Governor had returned the Bill for reconsideration by the State legislature. Both Houses of the State legislature passed the Bill again at the special session in Belgaum. The Governor gave his assent on November 3, and the Bill has now become the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Act, 2006.

Minister for Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.P. Prakash told presspersons on Wednesday that Act was comprehensive.

The Bill amended the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1956 (Karnataka Act No. 4 of 1957) to prevent disqualification of legislators occupying posts.

Mr. Prakash said the appointment to the boards and corporations would be completed in a month. The byelection to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency would not prevent the Government from making appointments. The offices excluded from the purview of the office-of-profit clause are: the offices of the Chairman, Speaker, the Deputy Chairman, the Deputy Speaker, the Minister of State, the Deputy Minister, the Parliamentary Secretary, the leaders of the Opposition or the Government Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly or in the Legislative Council; the offices of the president and the vice-president of a municipal council under the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964; the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor of a municipal corporation constituted under the Karnataka Corporations Act, 1976, the offices of the president and vice-president of the zilla, taluk, and gram panchayats constituted under the Karnataka Panchayati Raj Act, 1993; the offices of the chairman, vice-chairman, president, vice-president, director of the governing body or a member of a committee; or of any society registered society under any other law relating to registration of societies.