Bill gets Manipur Governor’s nod

Manipur Governor S S Sidhu gave his assent to the modified Manipur Legislature Fourth Amendment Bill late on Thursday.

Manipur Governor S S Sidhu gave his assent to the modified Manipur Legislature (Removal of Disqualification) Fourth Amendment Bill late on Thursday.

Sidhu’s nod — which comes a little over a week after President A P J Abdul Kalam returned the Office-of-Profit Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament — was given after the Manipur Legislative Assembly passed a modified version of the state Bill during a specially convened sitting on June 6. Sources close to Sidhu said the Governor did not refer the Bill to the President and was bound by Constitutional provisions to give his assent to Bills sent to him after due reconsideration by the state Assembly.

The Bill has excluded 43 posts from the office-of- profit list and comes as a huge relief to the six Congress MLAs who have been summoned by the EC to New Delhi on June 16 for a hearing regarding their chairmanships of various corporations.

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Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh too has had fingers pointed at him for holding several posts. The 43 posts include chairmanships of the Kangla Fort Board, Shri Shri Govindajee Temple Board and Manipur Film Development Corporation held by him.

The Bill, which was originally passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on May 29, had been returned by the Governor for reconsideration by the state Cabinet on grounds that the Bill in its original form suffered from ‘‘certain lacunae, want of clarity and lack of specifics’’.

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