IN A bid to pre-empt any move to disqualify Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan for holding an office of profit as chairman of the Jal Nigam and that of 37 turncoat BSP legislators, the Government today tabled the Uttar Pradesh State Legislature (Prevention of disqualification) Amendment Bill-2006 in the Vidhan Sabha amidst slogan-shouting and chaos.
Interestingly, the Bill, tabled to amend the Uttar Pradesh State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1971, would be retrospectively effective from January 2003, if passed.
The Government said to be in a hurry to get the Bill passed in the ongoing session of the Vidhan Sabha in the wake of the Election Commission’s move of disqualifying Jaya Bachchan.
The Bill is being dubbed as a move to protect chairmen of corporations, public sector undertakings and various commissions from being disqualified.
Against the existing 18 posts of the chairman, as many as 79 posts of chairmen of PSUs, corporations, commissions, cooperative banks, councils and boards have been included in the Bill.
The post of chairman of these 79 would no more be treated as office of profit under the provision of the amendment Bill. The word ‘allowances’ payable to the chairmen has been replaced by ‘honorarium’ due to technical reasons.
It may be recalled that Governor TV Rajeswar had referred a petition filed before him seeking disqualification of Azam Khan on the ground that he was holding an office of profit as chairman of the Jal Nigam to the Election Commission which is yet to take a decision on the contentious issue.
{{/usCountry}}It may be recalled that Governor TV Rajeswar had referred a petition filed before him seeking disqualification of Azam Khan on the ground that he was holding an office of profit as chairman of the Jal Nigam to the Election Commission which is yet to take a decision on the contentious issue.
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