Bengal film heritage panel: Jaya may not face disqualification

Rajya Sabha Member Jaya Bachchan, who is proposed to head a panel on film heritage constituted by the West Bengal government, may not face disqualification as an MP on the grounds of holding an office of profit.
A Joint Committee on Office of Profit said this in its report tabled in Parliament today.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat had forwarded a request of Bachchan to the committee to ascertain as to whether her nomination as chairperson of the film heritage panel would entail disqualification as an MP.
"The committee notes from the information furnished by the West Bengal government that the functions of the proposed panel on film heritage are purely advisory in nature.

"The nomination as a chairperson does not confer any power of disbursment of funds, allotment of land, and as such the chairperson cannot wield any influence by way of patronage," the committee said in its report.
"...The committee observes that the MP, if nominated as the chairperson may not attract disqualification for being chosen as, or for being, an MP from the angle of office of profit," the committee concluded.
The proposed panel on film heritage seeks to establish a centre for film heritage in Kolkata to preserve old cinema especially Bangla cinema along with related artifacts.