The Punjab government on Tuesday paved the way for the enactment of the law to enable MLAs to hold several new categories of ‘office of profit’.
The Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2018, will be tabled in the upoming session of the State Assembly, after the State Cabinet gave a nod to it.
An official statement said with the amendments proposed in the Bill, various categories of ‘office of profit’ will be added to the current list of positions and offices which the MLAs can hold without inviting disqualification.
“The amendments, aimed at addressing the complexities of modern day governance, include incorporation of a new Section 1A to provide for the definitions of ‘compensatory allowance’, ‘statutory body’ and ‘non-statutory body’. As per Section 1(A), ‘compensatory allowance’ would mean any sum of money payable to the holder of an office by way of daily allowance, any conveyance allowance, house rent allowance or travelling allowance for the purpose of enabling him to recoup any expenditure incurred by him in performing the functions of that office,” said the statement.
Besides, additions have also been made to the categories of ‘offices of profit’ under Section 2 of the said Act under the Bill.
“The Bill amends Section 2 to include the office of chairman or member 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 enquiry if the holder of such office is not entitled to any remuneration other than compensatory allowance,” said the statement.
It added that this also includes the office of chairman, director or member of any statutory or non-statutory body, if the holder of such office is not entitled to any remuneration other than compensatory allowance.
Punishment for sacrilege
The Cabinet also approved amendments to CrPC and IPC to make sacrilege of all religious texts punishable with life imprisonment. “The Cabinet has given nod to insertion of Section 295AA to the IPC to provide that “whoever causes injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people, shall be punished with imprisonment for life,” the statement added.
The Cabinet also approved the constitution of Punjab State Higher Education Council by bringing a Bill in the State Assembly.
