NAC chief’s post to be kept out of profit bracket

‘‘As of now, the NAC has been put in the list of exempted offices in the draft Bill prepared by the Law Ministry,’’ high-level sources said. The NAC chairperson’s post became contentious after the TDP petitioned President A P J Abdul Kalam demanding that Congress president Sonia Gandhi be disqualified for holding the post, which they alleged was an ‘‘office of profit’’.

Subsequently, Sonia Gandhi resigned from the Lok Sabha as well as the NAC on March 23 and the office-of-profit issue snowballed into a major crisis leading to the abrupt adjournment of Parliament. The post-recess Budget session was called primarily to pass a legislation that would legitimise some of the offices.

Today, while former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said in no uncertain terms that ‘‘the NAC should be abolished’’, sources in the Congress insisted that the post will most definitely be on the list.

Contrary to speculation that Sonia has declined to resume the position after her re-election, a senior Congress leader who attended the 10 Janpath meeting said she has been convinced to leave the decision on this matter on the party and the government.

In the intervening period, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Law Minister H R Bhardwaj are in consultations with all parties on the posts to be exempted.

However, if the opposition mounts pressure and targets Sonia Gandhi on the issue all over again, there is a likelihood that the government may give the post Cabinet status or change the nomenclature making it an advisory position.

Meanwhile, JD(U)’s Prabhunath Singh has written to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi that a copy of the Bill be made available to all MPs to allow them to study it properly.

–santwana.bhattacharya@expressindia.com