Lok Sabha members may soon have to declare business interests

In a bid to maintain propriety, Lok Sabha members may soon have to declare their business interests by signing a 'register of interest'.

In a bid to maintain propriety, Lok Sabha members may soon have to declare their business interests by signing a 'register of interest'.

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The move would help avoid making MPs members of the various Parliamentary Committees in which their business interests clash.

The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha which met in New Delhi on Monday discussed a draft report on 'Introduction of a Register of Members Interest in Lok Sabha.'

Since various members of the committee, including BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and SP's Rewati Raman Singh were not present on Monday, the panel did not adopt the report.

The register of interest is based on a similar records maintained by the Rajya Sabha.

While in Rajya Sabha it is mandatory to sign the register, there is no such compulsion for members of the lower house.

The Committee is debating the issue since October, 2011.