Ranchi: In a setback for BJP-led Government in Jharkhand, Governor Syed Sibtey Razi on Monday sent back a controversial Office of Profit Bill to the State Assembly for reconsideration.
The bill had been passed by the Assembly on March 24 in the face of petitions against 17 MLAs, including Chief Minister Arjun Munda, accused of holding office of profit.
The Governor returned the Jharkhand Legislators (Removal of Disqualification) Bill, 2006, for reconsideration, less than a week after President A P J Abdul Kalam returned a similar bill to Parliament for its reconsideration.
Monday's development came with 17 Jharkhand MLAs, including Munda, still under the scrutiny of the Election Commission.
Like Kalam, the Governor too, while returning the bill to the Assembly, sought to know about the retrospective clause in the bill which might help an MLA escape disqualification.
Another point raised by the Governor is whether exempt posts are in the spirit of the Constitution under Article 191 and the propriety of including some posts in the bill which are under the consideration of the competent agencies.
On May 30, Kalam had returned Parliament (Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006, which exempted 56 posts including that of Chairperson of National Advisory Council, a post earlier held by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
If the Assembly decides that the bill would be passed in its present form, it would go back to the Governor.
In that case, sources in the Assembly said, the Governor has to give his assent the second time, according to constitutional norms.
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