Manipur parliamentary secretary bill tabled in the house

The bill after becoming an Act would enable the state government to appoint parliamentary secretaries having the rank of a minister of state, assembly secretariat sources said.

The act would also enable the parliamentary secretaries to be given charge of looking after government departments.

Assembly secretariat sources said the bill would be discussed at an appropriate time fixed by the speaker.

Congress sources said there was discontentment among 42 Congress MLAs as majority of them could not get a ministerial berth in the ruling Congress ministry headed by Ibobi Singh,

As per provisions of the Constitution, Manipur cannot have more than 12 ministers in the 60-member state assembly.

Bharatiya Janata Party was opposed to the bill as it would result in unnecessary expenses of the state's exchequer.

Congress sources said if the bill became an Act, the state government may appoint not less than seven parliamentary secretaries from among the Congress MLAs.