The Punjab Cabinet on Friday decided to amend the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1952, under which advisers to the Chief Minister for planning and political matters will not be disqualified for holding offices of profit.
The Bill amending Section 2 of the Act will be presented in the coming session of the State Assembly, an official statement said.
Notably, the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1952, had been enacted in terms of Article 191 of the Constitution of India, to declare certain offices of profit as not being eligible to disqualify the holders from being members of the State legislature.
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“The said Act has undergone minor amendments from time to time. However, such amendments have not taken into account the complexity of modern day governance. Further, these amendments have not taken into account the reports and studies of the various parliamentary committees which addressed the issue of office of profit. Therefore, the Cabinet felt there is a need to amend Section 2 of the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1952,” said the statement.
The Punjab government had in September this year appointed six Minister-rank advisers to the Chief Minister. Five Congress MLAs were given the status of Cabinet Ministers while the sixth was given the rank and status of a Minister of State. The move had invited severe criticism from the Opposition.
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The Cabinet, which held its meeting here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also gave its approval to amend the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, to provide a mechanism for regulating the fee of unaided educational institutions.