The Punjab Cabinet, led by Captain Amarinder Singh, on Wednesday paved the way for MLAs to hold several new categories of 'office of profit' by approving some important amendments to the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act 1952.The amendments will protect the MLAs from disqualification in certain additional cases of office of profit, apart from the ones included in the original Act, an official spokesperson disclosed after a meeting here of the state cabinet.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". Insertions and additions have also been made to the categories of offices of profit under Section 2 of the said Act.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 (such allowance not exceeding the amount of daily allowance to which a Member of Legislative Assembly is entitled under the Punjab Legislative Assembly (Salary and Allowances of Members) Act, 1942), 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.
Section 2 has been amended to include:
(j) any office held by a Minister (including the Chief Minister), Minister of State or Deputy Minister, whether ex officio or by name;
(k) the office of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board;
(l) the office of (each leader and each deputy leader) of a recognized party and a recognized group in the Vidhan Sabha;
(m) the office of Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip or Whip in the Vidhan Sabha;
(n) the office of chairman or member of the syndicate, senate, executive committee, council or court of a university or any other body connected with a university;
(o) the office of chairman or member of a committee (whether consisting of one or more members), set up temporarily for the purpose of advising the Government or any other authority in respect of any matter of public importance or for the purpose of making an inquiry into, or collecting statistics in respect of, any such matter, if the holder of such office is not entitled to any remuneration other than compensatory allowance;
(p) the office of chairman, director or member (by whatever name called) of any statutory or non-statutory body other than any such body as is referred to in clause (o), if the holder of such office is not entitled to any remuneration other than compensatory allowance.