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Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------
Goa office of profit Ordinance, an afterthought
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Though chairpersons of 28 state-owned corporations were exempted
from the definition of the office of profit by enacting a legislation last
year,
the latest ordinance on adding four more posts in semi-government
institutions
is believed in the political circles to be an afterthought.
There is a feeling in the
political circles that the latest exemptions were
made to avoid embarrassment
to some of the prominent figures including
Mr Jeetendra Deshprabhu and
the Urban Development Minister,
Mr Joaquim Alemao.
Mr Deshprabhu is the vice-chairman of Kala Academy,
while Mr Alemao is chairman
of State Urban Development Authority (SUDA).
Goa was perhaps the only
state which had passed the Goa Members of
Legislative Assembly
(Removal of Disqualification) Act, 2005, defining
the offices of profit and
therefore there was no much of hue cry, when the
office of profit
controversy rocked the country.
The Ordinance, which will
be incorporated in the Act through an amendment
in the budget session has
made a safe road for the government to appoint more
MLAs and ministers to
various positions.
The Ordinance listed the
office of vice-chairman of Kala Academy, the office
of chairman, vice-chairman
and members of the Entertainment Society of Goa
(ESG), and the office of
chairman of Goa Tillari Irrigation Development Corporation.
With the addition of four
more positions the total number of the offices exempted
from the definition of
office of profit have gone up to 31.
The government realised
that these offices were not exempted from the definition
of office of profit and
hence issued an Ordinance, which has been notified
in extraordinary gazette
yesterday. Secretariat sources said that there was a
demand to issue Ordinance
specifying the offices of the vice-chairman of
Kala Academy and chairman
of SUDA, but it was delayed for two months.
The government had
appointed non-political personalities as the vice-chairman
of Kala Academy and this
was the tradition. Mr Deshprabhu is the first MLA
to occupy the office of the
vice-chairman of Kala Academy.
While SUDA, which is
registered under the Registration of Societys Act has
always been headed by a
minister or a MLA. The Urban Development Minister,
Mr Joaquim Alemao is its
chairman.
Barring these two offices,
the other offices are occupied by IAS officers.
The Chief Minister, Mr
Pratapsingh Rane, who was the chairman of the ESG
had resigned and the
government had issued an order appointing the
Chief Secretary, Mr J P
Singh as its chairman. Besides few MLAs who were
appointed to the ESG have
also tendered their resignations.
In recent past, no elected
representative was appointed as the chairman of the
Tillari Irrigation
Development Corporation and this office was occupied in
recent years by the IAS
officers. The former chief secretary, Ms Kiran Dhingra
was the chairperson of this
corporation and after her exit, the development
commissioner, Mr J K Dadoo
is the chairman. With the exemption of the
post of chief of Tillari
Irrigation Development Corporation from office of
profit definition, the
government can now appoint either a MLA or a minister
to this
position.
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The Navhind Times 21/05/06 page 1
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