Cabinet nod to changes in MP disqualification act

The Cabinet Thursday approved amendments in a law for disqualifying MPs for holding an office of profit to exempt the chairpersons of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from its purview, said official sources.

The government will introduce a bill in parliament to bring about the changes, said the sources.

According to sources, Section 3 of the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, as amended from time to time, lists certain offices of profit under the central or state governments, which disqualify the holders for being chosen as or being a member of parliament.

Further, the sub-clause (ii) of clause (ba) of the section exempts the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from such disqualification, said official sources.

Earlier, the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was bifurcated into two independent panels - the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes by the Constitution (Eighty-ninth Amendment) Act, 2003.