Cabinet nod for VS Achuthanandan entry

Thiruvananthapuram: Cabinet approved the draft bill for amending Prevention of Disqualification Act 1951, to pave the way for the appointment of veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan as vice chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission. The amendment bill will be tabled in the current session of Assembly itself and efforts are on to get the same passed.

The rules are being amended to exempt Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman post from the purview of Act as Achuthanandan is also an MLA. The Cabinet decision comes in the wake of the report submitted by chief secretary S M Vijayanand. He was asked by Cabinet last week to examine the possibilities of amending the Act and submit a report.

The previous UDF government had promulgated an ordinance to provide Cabinet rank for the post of Government Chief Whip which was held by P C George. Similar changes were effected for opposition leader’s post. Meanwhile, Achuthanandan told mediapersons that he would react to the Cabinet decision after examining it.

The amendment is being made to the Act to avoid disqualification under the office of profit act. It may be recalled that in 2006, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had to resign from the Lok Sabha and seek re-election from Rae Bareli. She was holding the additional office of Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, a Cabinet rank post.